Criminal use of OTC drugs provokes review

The threat of the use of over-the-counter cold remedies in the European Union to manufacture the illegal narcotic methamphetamine or "crystal meth" is prompting restrictions by regulators, the UK's Daily Telegraph reports. The European Medicines Agency's (EMEA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) is to carry out a review of all decongestants containing ephidrene or pseudoephidrene.

Under proposals issued by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Authority (MHRA), packs of certain cold remedies would be restricted in volume to the equivalent of 720mg of the active ingredients (12 60mg tablets) with sales limited to one pack per customer. If the growth of criminal use of the products is not contained by these restrictions, the MHRA recommends that decongestants containing ephidrene or pseudoephidrene should be reclassified as pharmacy dispensed-only prescription drugs.