National drugstore chain CVS will no longer sell over-the-counter pseudoephedrine-only medications in West Virginia. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Woonsocket, RI, company is joining peers including Rite Aid and Walgreen Co. which have implemented similar policies in the Appalachian state to dampen local methamphetamine abuse.
Lab runners use pseudoephedrine-only medications, like Sudafed, to make methamphetamine. Stores throughout the US have also attempted to tamp down on abuse by capping the number of units a customer can buy at a time, or by placing the OTC medications behind pharmacy counters (and sometimes requiring ID) to make purchasing more difficult. West Virginia is home to an increasing number of meth labs.
Sudafed manufacturer Johnson & Johnson tells the WSJ it is working with state officials to help control sales of the drug while still keeping it accessible for consumers.
