New York – All Wal-Mart stores will move many nonprescription cold and allergy medications behind pharmacy counters by June because they include an ingredient used to make the illegal stimulant methamphetamine, the company said Monday.
The world’s largest retailer – which has nearly 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in the United States and another 1,600 international locations – will join rivals Target Corp. and Albertsons Inc. in making such a move.
All three retailers are trying to make it more difficult for customers to easily obtain medications containing pseudoephedrine, which is a key component for making methamphetamine, a powerfully addictive drug. Young said Wal-Mart has also been in discussions with suppliers “regarding the reformulating of these products with alternative ingredients.”
Earlier Monday, food and drug retailer Albertsons said it would shift the sale of some over-the-counter cold medicines to behind the pharmacy counter.
