Oregon ? Lawmakers in Salem took the final step Monday toward making Oregon the first state to require a doctor’s prescription for many cold and allergy medicines as part of an effort to shut down meth labs.

The House voted 57-2 to send the bill to Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who has called the measure a major step in the fight against the methamphetamine epidemic. Kulongoski is expected to sign the bill later this week.

Under the bill, the state Board of Pharmacy will have until next July to implement the new prescription requirement. Gary Schnabel, the board’s executive director, said the rule could be put into effect sooner than that – possibly within three months.

Once the rules are in place, consumers who want a cold or allergy medicine containing pseudoephedrine will be required to contact their doctor for a prescription. Patients will be allowed as many as five refills in a six-month period.