aparrently i am now a registered drug user!

[CHEMICAL]

i went into cvs pharmacy today to get more of my alavert allergy medicine since it has worked so well for me in the past. well they were all out of that one, and i saw a card for an allergy/sinus NON-DROWSY alavert that was available behind the pharmacy counter.

so i went up to the counter and asked the tech for the pills.she asked for my license, (which i assumed was to check my age) flipped it over and scanned it,(which i assumed was for the same reason) and pointed to the keypad and said.."sign there".

i looked down and read that according to federal law, the license of anyone purchasing medicine containing pseudoephedrine must be "logged". my problem is that i was not made aware of this BEFORE my license was scanned!..no signs, no verbal, so basically , whether i refused to buy it or not, my license was already scanned.

can anyone shed light as to why they do this and what it means?

i have never had to have my license scanned for something at the pharmacy before, and if they had my medicine in stock i would have not purchased this other one.i find this awfully ridiculous , especially for a non-drowsy medicine.

i don't see the reason for automatically "logging" someones license unless they've been convicted of something, and had i been aware of this prior to it being scanned, i would not have bought it.

any thoughts are welcome!

[CarolinaGuy]

If you claim to get more than two colds a year, you are obviously a meth cook.

[US Militiaman]

I don't know the legality of it, but it is to control the production of methamphetamines in PA. Pseudophedrine, the active ingredient in some (not regulated) cold/allergy medications can be used to make meth, and the logging of it is to watch the people are hitting every drug store in town buying a few boxes under the assumption that they are probably going to make meth out of it.

It is not to verify age, it records your purchase and is used to track people that are buying an 'excessive' amount. They should be required to tell you that it will be recorded though.

[ChamberedRound]

I don't know the legality of it, but it is to control the production of methamphetamines in PA. Pseudophedrine, the active ingredient in some (not regulated) cold/allergy medications can be used to make meth, and the logging of it is to watch the people are hitting every drug store in town buying a few boxes under the assumption that they are probably going to make meth out of it.

It is not to verify age, it records your purchase and is used to track people that are buying an 'excessive' amount. They should be required to tell you that it will be recorded though.

IIRC, this is not PA law, but federal law. In fact, I believe it's an extension of the Patriot Act.

[Shawn.L]

IIRC, this is not PA law, but federal law. In fact, I believe it's an extension of the Patriot Act.

you are correct

the "combat mephamphetamine epidemic act" was tagged on to the patriot act.

LE will only check those logs as part of an investigation, they arent getting sent in to the .gov or anything like that. Its just another federally manadated useless paperwork burden on bussiness.

[blaster668]

Doesn't the system do more than log you? I was under the impression that you can only buy so much in a year, then it turns you down.

[HiredGoon]

i went into cvs pharmacy today to get more of my alavert allergy medicine since it has worked so well for me in the past. well they were all out of that one, and i saw a card for an allergy/sinus NON-DROWSY alavert that was available behind the pharmacy counter.

so i went up to the counter and asked the tech for the pills.she asked for my license, (which i assumed was to check my age) flipped it over and scanned it,(which i assumed was for the same reason) and pointed to the keypad and said.."sign there".

i looked down and read that according to federal law, the license of anyone purchasing medicine containing pseudoephedrine must be "logged". my problem is that i was not made aware of this BEFORE my license was scanned!..no signs, no verbal, so basically , whether i refused to buy it or not, my license was already scanned.

can anyone shed light as to why they do this and what it means?

i have never had to have my license scanned for something at the pharmacy before, and if they had my medicine in stock i would have not purchased this other one.i find this awfully ridiculous , especially for a non-drowsy medicine.

i don't see the reason for automatically "logging" someones license unless they've been convicted of something, and had i been aware of this prior to it being scanned, i would not have bought it.

any thoughts are welcome!

Oh no You may as well just turn in your LTCF now... since you are now a "registered drug user"

[WhiteShadow]

I sometimes get Tylenol's Simply Sleep, which is just Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine that makes you drowsy and helps you sleep. Everytime i buy it, usually at Giant, the cashier asks for my License, but they never scan my card. When i get Simply Sleep at Rite Aid, they only ask for proof of ID, they dont scan my license. When i go to Wal Mart, its the same thing. This would lead me to believe that either its not a federal law to scan your license or it is and these stores just arent following protocol.

[LisaA]

This happens when I need to get Sudafed. It is a bit unnerving, considering that there are more threatening issues.

[US Militiaman]

I sometimes get Tylenol's Simply Sleep, which is just Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine that makes you drowsy and helps you sleep. Everytime i buy it, usually at Giant, the cashier asks for my License, but they never scan my card. When i get Simply Sleep at Rite Aid, they only ask for proof of ID, they dont scan my license. When i go to Wal Mart, its the same thing. This would lead me to believe that either its not a federal law to scan your license or it is and these stores just arent following protocol.

That may be to verify age, as you need to be a certain age to purchase certain medications. However, everywhere I have gone to purchase Pseudophedrine containing products (wow, that makes me sound like I buy it all the time haha) they have scanned my license and made me sign something.