SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) applauds Governor JB Pritzker for signing HB 3087 into law, expanding consumer access to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines containing the oral decongestant pseudoephedrine (PSE) by removing the previous two-package transaction limit and raising the daily purchase limit from 3 grams to 3.6 grams, effective immediately. Additionally, the law requires all manufacturers selling PSE in Illinois to fund the state’s real-time stop-sale technology that allows retailers to enforce PSE sales limits and assists law enforcement in preventing illegal PSE sales.
"The passage of HB 3087 represents a significant victory for both consumer access and public safety,” said Carlos Gutierrez, vice president of State & Local Government Affairs at CHPA. “By removing unnecessary purchase restrictions, making modest adjustments to quantity limits, and requiring all manufacturers to participate in funding the system that enforces state and federal laws that limit PSE purchases, Governor Pritzker, Representative Moylan, Senator Porfirio, and the Illinois Legislature have struck the right balance. This legislation ensures that law-abiding consumers can access the cold and allergy medications they need while also ensuring the long-term viability of the system that combats illegal methamphetamine production. Illinois has set an example of how thoughtful policies can protect public health and ensure access to essential medicine.”
Thirty-eight states across the nation, including Illinois, currently mandate the use of the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) system, which is a real-time, stop-sale technology used by retailers and law enforcement to prevent the illegal sale of PSE to criminals who try to use it in the production of methamphetamine.
In 2024, the NPLEx system successfully blocked the illegal sale of nearly 2 million boxes of OTC medicines containing PSE, preventing more than 5 million grams of PSE from getting into the hands of potential criminals. CHPA has been instrumental in advocating to extend the NPLEx system in multiple states and takes the diversion of its members' medicines very seriously. CHPA will continue working with elected officials to ensure states have the necessary tools to combat illegal sales of PSE, while also ensuring law-abiding citizens who depend on these medicines have continued and expanded access.
