Indiana's two meth bills still need a little work

Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, said during a conference committee on Senate Bill 80 that there are a few sticking points left between the version he passed out of the Senate and what Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, pushed through the House.

The biggest concern, however, is how much Sudafed a person who is not a patient of record, and who does not have a prescription, can purchase in a given time frame.

The current version of the bill says if a person has an existing relationship with a pharmacist, they can continue to purchase as much Sudafed as is allowed by state law. If a person is not a “patient of record” they will be offered a small amount of either Sudafed or meth-resistant medications. If they refuse either option, they would need to get a prescription.

The bill as written drops the amount of Sudafed a person can buy in a day to about 700 milligrams, five times less than currently allowed. Other issues include concerns from INSPECT, the prescription monitoring board, and State Pharmacy Board. The definition of “pharmacist discretion” also needs tobefinalized, Head said.

Rep. Ron Bacon, R-Chandler, who is on the committee, said he is optimistic legislators will be able to work through the issues. Bacon said he has been pushing for an overhaul to the current system for about six years, trying to help curb the number of meth labs in Southwestern Indiana.

“I really think after six years of trying, we’ve got a way to get it done,” Bacon said.

Those thoughts were echoed by House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis), who has been advocating for a change in Indiana’s laws since the beginning of the session. Bosma said the issues still needing ironed out are workable.

A concurrence on House Bill 1157, updating Indiana’s NPLEx system to prohibit felons convicted of drug-related offenses from buying Sudafed, was approved by the House on Friday. The bill will now go to the governor for final approval.