Anti-Meth Measure Clears Oklahoma Senate Panel

Cold and allergy sufferers in Oklahoma will have their identities and birth dates entered into a searchable database when they purchase certain cold medications under a bill approved by a Senate panel.

The Senate committee on Wednesday approved the bill that requires pharmacies to track sales of products containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient used to make methamphetamine. The names would be entered into a database searchable by law enforcement.

The measure also further restricts how much pseudoephedrine products a person can buy each month, from nine grams to 7.1 grams. A new daily limit of 3.4 grams also is put into place under the bill.

The proposal is a compromise after lawmakers killed separate measures that would have required a prescription to purchase products containing pseudoephedrine.