JEFFERSON CITY – A methamphetamine crisis grips the state, said Gov. Blunt during his visit to Joplin last Friday.

“Missouri leads the nation in methamphetamine production and incidents,” said Blunt.

In 2003, there were 2860 methamphetamine incidents in Missouri, 1600 more incidents than California, the next highest state, said Blunt.

Missouri accounted for more than 17 percent of all methamphetamine incidents in the country in 2003.

Blunt appeared in Joplin last Friday to show support for a legislative effort to protect Missouri families by keeping key ingredients necessary for the production of methamphetamine out of the hands of drug users.

“The state of Oklahoma actually provides some assistance to Missouri as we develop public policy [to control methamphetamine],” said Blunt.

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry (D) got enacted legislation in 2003 to reclassify medicines containing pseudo ephedrine as a Class V controlled substance.

Class V classification requires medicine to be stored behind the counter and dispensed only by a licensed pharmacist or technician. Photo identification is necessary for purchase, and a written record of purchasers name and address is kept and made available for law enforcement.

Oklahoma has since seen an 80 percent reduction in methamphetamine incidents, Blunt said.

Drug cooks from Oklahoma are now crossing the border to purchase precursor ingredients necessary for the production of methamphetamine, said Blunt.

Senate bills addressing the methamphetamine issue were presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.

Sen. Norma Champion (R-Springfield), sponsor of SB 27, seeks to require medicines containing pseudo ephedrine to be sold by a licensed pharmacist.

Considerable discussion ensued among committee members as to the effect this requirement would have on Missourians seeking relief from cold or allergy symptoms.

“It’s hard already … if you have to go out at 2 in the morning to get cold medicine and find a pharmacist, especially in rural areas,” said Sen. Chuck Graham (D-Columbia).

The proposed restrictions would only apply to starch based products. The gel cap form of allergy or cold medicine would not be restricted.

Sen. Cauthorn presented SB158 to look into the establishment of a statewide prescription monitoring program.

“With SB158, we would be creating some sort of a state database to track prescriptions of all the citizens in the state?” Graham said.

Cauthorn said he believed a private corporation, perhaps someone within the pharmaceutical industry, could fund the monitoring program, and maintain patient confidentiality.