Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine — Sales restrictions — Record of transaction — Exceptions — Penalty.
RCW 69.43.105
in effect(1) For purposes of this section, "traditional Chinese herbal practitioner" means a person who is certified as a diplomate in Chinese herbology from the national certification commission for acupuncture and oriental medicine or who has received a certificate in Chinese herbology from a school accredited by the accreditation council on acupuncture and oriental medicine. (2) A pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or an employee thereof, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner may not knowingly sell, transfer, or otherwise furnish to any person a product at retail that he or she knows to contain any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, without first obtaining photo identification of the person that shows the date of birth of the person. (3) A person buying or receiving a product at retail containing any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, from a pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or an employee thereof, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner must first produce photo identification of the person that shows the date of birth of the person. (4) Any product containing any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, shall be kept (a) behind a counter where the public is not permitted, or (b) in a locked display case so that a customer wanting access must ask an employee of the merchant for assistance. (5) No pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or an employee thereof, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner may sell any product containing any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, to a person that is not at least eighteen years old. (6) A pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW selling a nonprescription drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers shall require the purchaser to electronically or manually sign a record of the transaction. The record must include the name and address of the purchaser, the date and time of the sale, the name and initials of the shopkeeper, itinerant vendor, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, or employee conducting the transaction, the name of the product being sold, as well as the total quantity in grams, of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, being sold. (7) The pharmacy quality assurance commission, by rule, may exempt products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, in combination with another active ingredient from the requirements of this section if they are found not to be used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine or other controlled dangerous substances. A manufacturer of a drug product may apply for removal of the product from the requirements of this section if the product is determined by the commission to have been formulated in such a way as to effectively prevent the conversion of the active ingredient into methamphetamine. The burden of proof for exemption is upon the person requesting the exemption. The petitioner shall provide the commission with evidence that the product has been formulated in such a way as to serve as an effective general deterrent to the conversion of pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine. The evidence must include the furnishing of a valid scientific study, conducted by an independent, professional laboratory and evincing professional quality chemical analysis. Factors to be considered in whether a product should be excluded from this section include but are not limited to: (a) Ease with which the product can be converted to methamphetamine; (b) Ease with which ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine is extracted from the substance and whether it forms an emulsion, salt, or other form; (c) Whether the product contains a "molecular lock" that renders it incapable of being converted into methamphetamine; (d) Presence of other ingredients that render the product less likely to be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine; and (e) Any pertinent data that can be used to determine the risk of the substance being used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine or any other controlled substance. (8) Nothing in this section applies: (a) To any product containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers that is not the only active ingredient and that is in liquid, liquid capsule, or gel capsule form; (b) To the sale of a product that may only be sold upon the presentation of a prescription; (c) To the sale of a product by a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner to a patient; or (d) When the details of the transaction are recorded in a pharmacy profile individually identified with the recipient and maintained by a licensed pharmacy. (9)(a) No pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner may retaliate against any employee that has made a good faith attempt to comply with the requirements of this section by requesting that a customer present photo identification, making a reasonable effort to determine the customer's age. (b) No pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner is subject to prosecution under subsection (10) of this section if they made a good faith attempt to comply with the requirements of this section by requesting that a customer present photo identification, making a reasonable effort to determine the customer's age. (10) A violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.
(1) For purposes of this section, "traditional Chinese herbal practitioner" means a person who is certified as a diplomate in Chinese herbology from the national certification commission for acupuncture and oriental medicine or who has received a certificate in Chinese herbology from a school accredited by the accreditation council on acupuncture and oriental medicine.
(2) A pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or an employee thereof, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner may not knowingly sell, transfer, or otherwise furnish to any person a product at retail that he or she knows to contain any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, without first obtaining photo identification of the person that shows the date of birth of the person.
(3) A person buying or receiving a product at retail containing any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, from a pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or an employee thereof, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner must first produce photo identification of the person that shows the date of birth of the person.
(4) Any product containing any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, shall be kept (a) behind a counter where the public is not permitted, or (b) in a locked display case so that a customer wanting access must ask an employee of the merchant for assistance.
(5) No pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, or an employee thereof, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner may sell any product containing any detectable quantity of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, to a person that is not at least eighteen years old.
(6) A pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW selling a nonprescription drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers shall require the purchaser to electronically or manually sign a record of the transaction. The record must include the name and address of the purchaser, the date and time of the sale, the name and initials of the shopkeeper, itinerant vendor, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, or employee conducting the transaction, the name of the product being sold, as well as the total quantity in grams, of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, being sold.
(7) The pharmacy quality assurance commission, by rule, may exempt products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, in combination with another active ingredient from the requirements of this section if they are found not to be used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine or other controlled dangerous substances. A manufacturer of a drug product may apply for removal of the product from the requirements of this section if the product is determined by the commission to have been formulated in such a way as to effectively prevent the conversion of the active ingredient into methamphetamine. The burden of proof for exemption is upon the person requesting the exemption. The petitioner shall provide the commission with evidence that the product has been formulated in such a way as to serve as an effective general deterrent to the conversion of pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine. The evidence must include the furnishing of a valid scientific study, conducted by an independent, professional laboratory and evincing professional quality chemical analysis. Factors to be considered in whether a product should be excluded from this section include but are not limited to:
(a) Ease with which the product can be converted to methamphetamine;
(b) Ease with which ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine is extracted from the substance and whether it forms an emulsion, salt, or other form;
(c) Whether the product contains a "molecular lock" that renders it incapable of being converted into methamphetamine;
(d) Presence of other ingredients that render the product less likely to be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine; and
(e) Any pertinent data that can be used to determine the risk of the substance being used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine or any other controlled substance.
(8) Nothing in this section applies:
(a) To any product containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers that is not the only active ingredient and that is in liquid, liquid capsule, or gel capsule form;
(b) To the sale of a product that may only be sold upon the presentation of a prescription;
(c) To the sale of a product by a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner to a patient; or
(d) When the details of the transaction are recorded in a pharmacy profile individually identified with the recipient and maintained by a licensed pharmacy.
(9)(a) No pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner may retaliate against any employee that has made a good faith attempt to comply with the requirements of this section by requesting that a customer present photo identification, making a reasonable effort to determine the customer's age.
(b) No pharmacy licensed by, or shopkeeper or itinerant vendor registered with, the department of health under chapter 18.64 RCW, a practitioner as defined in RCW 18.64.011 , or a traditional Chinese herbal practitioner is subject to prosecution under subsection (10) of this section if they made a good faith attempt to comply with the requirements of this section by requesting that a customer present photo identification, making a reasonable effort to determine the customer's age.
(10) A violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=69.43&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026