PHARMACIST'S DEPOT SHOP.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 225, 23 September 1929, Page 8

PHARMACIST'S DEPOT SHOP.

"TEST" PROSECUTION. ACTION BROUGHT BY BOARD. "This i 3 in the nature of a test case and it is of considerable importance to the Pharmaceutical Society to know whether a chemist is entitled to open unlimited shops, not under his immediate control or under the control of a duly enrolled manager, for the purpose inter alia of receiving and dispensing prescriptions from those particular shops," said Mr. D. W. Virtue, appearing for the Pharmacy Board, in a case in the Magistrate's Court in Wellington. William Stewart Wallace was charged with conducting a chemist's shop in Lambton Quay not under his immediate control or that of an enrolled manager, as provided by section 40 of tho Pharmacy Act, 1908. Mr. Virtue said that Mr. Wallace had several shops in the city, one of which was the "City Drug Store," in Lambton Quay, lu respect of that shop Mr. Wallace had made no application for the registration of <a manager, and it appeared that he had a system of sending prescriptions left there to the Willis Street premises to have them made up. Apparently the defendant was in control of the Willis Street shop and operated from there what might be called a depot. Mr. C. W. Nielsen said that the defence in the main was that the Lambton Quay shop was not one at which medical prescriptions were, compounded or dispensed. He submitted that for the proceedings to succeed it was necessary to establish that the shop was kept and maintained for compounding or dispensing on the premises. Under the Act a chemist, if he he had the skill, was entitled to prescribe and make up' his prescriptions, but ha was not able to compound or dispense medical prescriptions unless he was duly qualified and in charge of the shop or was in respect thereof the enrolled manager. In the shop in Lambton Quay no medical prescriptions were compounded or dispensed. Giving evidence, the defendant said he spent two periods of the day in the Lambton Quay shop, at which was conducted the ordinary business of a chen> ist and druggist. No medical prescriptions were compounded there nor was it pretended that they were; on that point they had been most clear from the beginning. There were no facilities on the premises for making up medical prescriptions. After hearing evidence and argument, the Magistrate (Mr. E. Page), reserved his decision.