Tahiti restricts sale of meds to fight illegal drug manufacture

1:51 pm on 1 February 2019

The French Polynesian government has moved to restrict the sale of some medications used to help manufacture illegal drugs.

82856191 - different pills on the table

Photo: 123RF

The decision follows the recent discovery of local production of methamphetamine which led to the arrest of several people making and distributing the drug.

Suspicion had been raised after unusual large purchases of medications containing pseudoephedrine at pharmacies in the area of the Tahiti peninsula.

The government has now introduced a requirement to obtain a prescription for a range of medicines whose ingredients can be used to produce drugs.

The named medicines include Actifed Rhume, Dolirhume, Fervex and Humex.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs