OKLAHOMA CITY (Tulsa World) -- Three major state medical groups have come out against a proposed restriction on the sale of the allergy medicine that is a key ingredient in most Oklahoma methamphetamine labs.

The Oklahoma State Medical Association, the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association and the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians all have taken stances against proposals to make pseudoephedrine a prescription-only drug.

Advocates for the idea argue that it will reduce the number of meth labs in the state, but the physician groups say it will fill physicians' offices with people who don't need to see doctors and it will keep others from using a drug that the federal government has determined is effective and safe for over-the-counter sales.

"We agree that methamphetamines are a huge problem for the state, we just think this is the wrong way to go about fixing it," said Dr. Russell Kohl, legislative co-chairman for the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians.

"We don't think that the reason for the methamphetamine problem is the availability of pseudoephedrine," Kohl said. "There's just not good evidence that this is effective and it's going to be a huge inconvenience to the law-abiding citizens who are using it correctly."

Wes Glinsman, director of state legislation and political affairs for the State Medical Association, said the group's board of trustees voted over the weekend to oppose the prescription mandate.

The group endorsed an alternative proposal, pushed by the over- the-counter drug manufacturers, to link Oklahoma to a multistate electronic pseudoephedrine registry, which would allow police to track sales of the drug in Oklahoma and bordering states. Currently, police can only track sales in the state.

The group also favors efforts to further restrict the amount of pseudoephedrine that can be purchased in one month and to use the registry to lock out buyers who have attempted purchases over the legal limit, Glinsman said.

Dr. George Caldwell, president of the State Medical Association, said the issue is extremely controversial in the medical profession and many doctors will be in favor of a prescription requirement, particularly in areas with high numbers of meth labs such as northeastern Oklahoma.

Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove, a physician who favors the prescription restriction, said he was almost in disbelief when he heard about the stances taken by the professional groups.

"I deal with it every day, and anything we can do to deter methamphetamine labs, we should be doing," said Cox, an emergency room physician.

Other physicians must be aware of the tremendous destructive potential of meth labs and meth addiction to patients and the heavy burden of uncompensated medical treatment that results from meth manufacture and abuse, he said.

"I'm extremely disappointed," he said.

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