Proposal for cold medicine prescriptions being scaled back

An Indiana legislator is scaling back his proposal to require a doctor's prescription to buy cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine as lawmakers look for ways to prevent methamphetamine makers from obtaining the drug.

Republican Rep. Ben Smaltz of Auburn says the new version will classify pseudoephedrine in a way that most consumers would be able to buy it, but pharmacists would have authority to require a prescription from suspicious customers. The change also establishes a registry to cross-check customers who have a criminal record of meth-related offenses.

The House Public Health Committee is set to consider Smaltz's bill and other meth-related measures on Monday.

Committee chairwoman Cindy Kirchhofer of Indianapolis said last week the prescription requirement bill wouldn't be taken up, but she calls the new version a compromise.