Cold Medicines Could Require Rx Under Colorado Bill

DENVER (AP) -- Common cold medicines such as Sudafed may soon require prescriptions in Colorado under a bill designed to block illegal methamphetamine.

A bill up for a hearing the Colorado Senate Thursday would require a prescription for drugs containing certain chemicals needed for meth production. Many of those products are already kept behind the counter and require a customer to ask for them, but this bill would further limit those drugs.

Oregon and Mississippi have already made those cold medicines prescription-only. Other states have rejected similar proposals after complaints the change would be too much of an inconvenience.

A fiscal analysis prepared for Colorado lawmakers said the change could cost $275,000 a year in lost sales taxes.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)