By JILL MCNEAL
6 News Anchor/Reporter
WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (WATE) - Some pharmacists in southeastern Kentucky are taking the fight against meth into their own hands, by requiring that people have prescriptions from their doctors for any over-the-counter medicines containing pseudoephedrine.
Pharmacist Michael Bordes was putting Sudafed, Claritin-D, anything with pseudoephedrine behind the counter well before that was the law. But he says it wasn't enough, so he took it a step further.
Bordes has owned the Corner Prescription Shoppe in Williamsburg for 30 years. He started seeing the effects of meth more than a decade ago.
"Rotted teeth, death. I coached Little League for nine years. I had one of my kids get blown up and burned up with it. It effects everyone," he said.
Several years ago before it was law, he started putting drugs with pseudoephedrine behind the counter so customers had to request it from him.
"I sold to a few people I was just really leery to sell it to and probably three hours later we probably had 20 people in here. It just spreads. The word spreads like crazy. It's unbelievable," Bordes said.
That's when he started requiring a doctor's prescription.
"I'll be glad to call and request it, especially if I feel you're legitimate. I don't know if that's profiling, but if somebody comes in here and they have rotted teeth and they weigh 90 pounds, I'm not going to sell it to them. We're supposed to help people. I don't sell cigarettes, booze, anything like that. You're supposed to help their health," he said.
Bordes said word has spread among meth makers that you can't get pseudoephedrine from him without a prescription and he said that generally keeps the criminal element away.
"I've had cases where it's caused me problems with some of my regular customers, but I will try to call and get a prescription for them and most of the doctors will work with me on that," Bordes said.
He said most people understand his motive.
"I could always sell a lot of Sudafed, but it's not worth hurting somebody over," he said.
6 News stopped a couple of people in downtown Williamsburg to ask what they thought about Bordes requiring a prescription for these normally over-the-counter drugs.
"I applaud him for it. I applaud him. It's not that much inconvenience to get rid of a very bad problem, in my opinion," said Billy Sizemore.
"I think it's a good idea. It's a big issue in Whitley County with drugs and stuff. It's a great idea," said Tammy Ball.
Corner Prescription Shoppe is not the only pharmacy in southeastern Kentucky now requiring a prescription for pseudoephedrine, but there aren't many. We couldn't find any places in Knoxville that have taken that extra step.
There have been efforts in both Kentucky and Tennessee to require prescriptions for all pseudoephedrine purchases, but so far lawmakers have not reached a consensus.
"I could always sell a lot of Sudafed, but it's not worth hurting somebody over," said Pharmacist Michael Bordes
There have been efforts in both Kentucky and Tennessee to require prescriptions for all pseudoephedrine purchases, but so far lawmakers have not reached a consensus.
