Wednesday, October 13, 2010

funny story....social experiment...

I have been fighting a cold on and off for the past 2 weeks. I bought some day/night cold medicine when I first got sick not thinking anything of it and started taking it.   The other day I started feeling sick again.  Having finished up the meds that I bought 2 weeks ago I decided while I was out shopping last night to pick up some more.

So I went to rite aide and in my attempt to buy this stuff the lady asked me for my birthday (which i supplied to her because it has something to do with the new law that they passed).  Well then she claimed computer/register froze and she calls for the manager who punches some keys and then asks again for my birthday.  After entering it in the computer he informs me that I am over the allowed amount of medicine that I can buy for the month (never checked my ID or anything).  I was nice about it because I was in a good mood and said ok and left.

I then tried to figure out on my way to the car how that was possible.  I had never before been asked to give my birthday when I have purchased cold meds.  Still in need of meds for the cold I still had I decided to have some fun and see if I could buy stuff at the walgreens a block over from the rite aide.

I picked out the same meds that I just tried to buy at the rite aide and went to the walgreens cashier.  She scanned the box and as I watched the register screen ask for a birthday she punched in a generic birthday and completed the sale.  Telling me that she hoped I felt better soon I said thanks and walked out of the store.

So much for the new law!!  I'M STILL CONFUSED AFTER READING THE INFO ON WIKIPEDIA

I contemplated why my experience was so different at the two stores.  The lady at rite aide was a middle aged woman who looked like she had been a cashier there forever.  The lady at walgreens looked to be in her mid 20's who was probably working to earn some cash while in college.

Any thoughts??

* FOR FURTHER INFO ON THE LAW SEE BELOW OR ON
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoephedrine *



The United States Congress has recognized that pseudoephedrine is used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine. In 2005, the Committee on Education and the Workforce heard testimony concerning education programs and state legislation designed to curb this illegal practice.
Congress passed the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 ("CMEA") as an amendment to the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act. Signed into law by president George W. Bush on March 6, 2006, the act amended 21 U.S.C. § 830 concerning the sale of pseudoephedrine-containing products. The law mandated two phases, the first needing to be implemented by April 8, 2006 and the second phase to be completed by September 30, 2006. The first phase dealt primarily with implementing the new buying restrictions based on amount, while the second phase encompassed the requirements of storage, employee training, and record keeping.[28] Though the law was mainly directed at pseudoephedrine products it also applies to all over the counter products containing:ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine, their salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers.[28] Pseudoephedrine was defined as a "scheduled listed chemical product" under 21 U.S.C. § 802 (45(A)). The act included the following requirements for merchants ("regulated sellers") who sell such products:
  • Required a retrievable record of all purchases, identifying the name and address of each party, to be kept for two years
  • Required verification of proof of identity of all purchasers
  • Required protection and disclosure methods in the collection of personal information
  • Required reports to the Attorney General of any suspicious payments or disappearances of the regulated products
  • Required training of employees with regard to the requirements of the CMEA. Retailers must self-certify as to training and compliance.
  • The non-liquid dose form of regulated products may only be sold in unit dose blister packs
  • Regulated products must be stored behind the counter or in a locked cabinet in such a way as to restrict public access
  • Daily sales limit—must not exceed 3.6 grams of pseudoephedrine base without regard to the number of transactions
  • 30-day (not monthly) sales limit—must not exceed 7.5 grams of pseudoephedrine base if sold by mail order or "mobile retail vendor"
  • 30-day purchase limit—must not exceed 9 grams of pseudoephedrine base. (A misdemeanor possession offense under 21 U.S.C. § 844a
    for the person who buys it.)
In regards to the identification that may be used by an individual buying pseudoephedrine products the following constitute acceptable forms of identification:
  • US passport
  • Alien registration or permanent resident card
  • Unexpired foreign passport with temporary I-551 stamp
  • Unexpired Employment Authorization Document
  • Driver's License or Government issued identification card (including Canadian driver's license)
  • School ID with picture
  • Voter's Registration card
  • US Military Card
  • Native American tribal documents

Signing off 08:18

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