Leave me out of it!!

I dont like taking drugs of any kind, not even pain killers or cold remedies that you can buy at any local supermarket, so when I walk into a pharmacy to buy medication you can be assured that I have given it a lot of thought. At the moment I have a head cold, the worst part of which is the stuffy and runny nose. I dont have a headache or sore throat, so I have no need for those "one tablet fixes all" combination cold remedies - I just want my nose to stop running. In the past, I have always used Sudafed to fix this, and have never had any problem obtaining it. I dont get colds often, perhaps only once every couple of years, so its not very often that I need to buy it.

I was completely surprised today when I stopped at my local chemist on the way to work, to find that they didnt even stock it - I mean, its a common over the counter sinus medication. No matter, I decided to try another chemist down the road. They too didnt stock it. I started thinking that this was really strange. At the second chemist, the girl I spoke to seemed a little lost by my request, so I repeated it, only to hear a firm "We dont stock it Sir" from the pharmacist who was at the other end of the shop. "Fine." I said, and walked out.

There are not many pharmacies between my home and my bus stop, but I decided to go out of my way and try a third. I really didnt want my nose running all day at work... it can be quite disgusting when you sneeze unexpectedly - not to mention embarrasing.

At the third pharmacy, I could see the Sudafed behind the counter. By this stage I was already late for work, and my next bus was due in just a couple of minutes... I was in a hurry, so that I could catch my bus, and not have to wait over half an hour for the next one. The pharmacist asked me if I had a heart condition. "No, just a stuffy nose", was my reply. Am I on any other medication? "No, I generally avoid it". Have I considered a nasal spray? "Look, I dont have time for this!" was my reply, and everything went down hill from there.

The pharmacist was very reluctant to sell me a single pack of sudafed, despite my sniffling and watery eyes. Ive been using Sudafed to fix a stuffy nose (when required) for over 20 years. This is its intended purpose and I have never found it so hard to obtain before. She asked me for identification? What the?? Fine, I dont have time for this, get on with it. She very slowly entered my ID into her computer. I resented the fact that I had to provide ID, and I said so. She stopped whatever she was doing and started explaining that they ask everyone for ID when they buy certain drugs. This was news to me. She started explaining and naming the various chemicals in the tablets. I didnt need a long explanation and asked her to get on with it. At this point she was very close to refusing to sell me the Sudafed at all.

She asked for my address. "Is that a legal requirement?" I asked. She stopped again and started with the explanations. I had a bus to catch. "Fine, fine, just do it". I said, and gave her my address. Finally after something like 10 minutes I left the store, with the pack of Sudafed that would make my day at work a little more comfortable, and a lot less embarrasing. I noticed later that my full name and address was printed on the reciept, which I would now have to destroy thoughtfully, rather than just toss in a bin somewhere.

I missed my bus, which was already the next one after the one I had intended to catch, making me an hour later than I had initially planned.

All of this is apparently due to new laws restricting the sale of Sudafed and a few other medications, due to them also being used to make illegal drugs such as speed or ice. Thats all well and good, but I dont use drugs. I simply have a cold and need some medication. Pharmacies have stopped stocking the specified medications, presumably due to the hassles and irate customers, making them even harder to obtain, and when you finally do find somewhere that stock them, you have to provide identification for something that was previously an over the counter cash sale.

Sudafed was previously a Schedule 2 (S2) medicine, but now has a Schedule 3 classification, meaning that only the pharmacist can sell it to you (shop assistants are not allowed to sell it). Ive also read news articles that suggest it will soon be classified as Schedule 4, meaning that you will need a prescription from a doctor! Great. I really need to pay $45 for 5 minutes of a doctors time so that I can then buy a $15 pack of tablets, which I already know will relieve my symptoms.

Its great that the government wants to crack down on people making illegal drugs, but what about the rest of us? These so-called backyard chemists buy several packs at a time. Surely buying just one, to treat your cold shouldnt require all the extra hassle, looks of suspicion, and twenty questions before also having to provide ID!

I fully support the fight against illegal drugs, but leave me out of it! I am not part of it, and should not be treated with suspicion merely because I want to relieve the symptoms of my cold!!!