THE PHARMACY ACT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 10 August 1912, Page 5

THE PHARMACY ACT.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. 'A deputation from the New Zealand Pharmacy Board waited on the Minister for Public Health (tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes) last night to bring under his notice certain amendments that it was desired should bo made to the Pharmacy Act, 1908. The deputation was supported by a number of local chemists. Mr. Fred. Castle, president of tho board, explained that the propositions they were about to place beforo tho Minister represented tho opinion of the board, and not merely local oninion. The first proposed alteration was intended to give tho board power to 6pend money on technical education. At present they had the money and tho desiro to spend it in that direction, but locked tho necessary legal power. Another matter was the question of travelling expenses. Tho present Act restricted tho expenditure, to those niemberf living outside Wellington, but as tho board desired to hold conferences at other centres, it was asked that Wellington members of the board could also draw for travelling expenses. Another proposed alteration to the Act would reduco tho minimum age at which candidates could Bit for the first examination to 16 year's, but would leave the minimum age for the final examination as at present, 18 years. Other ends that tho board sought to achieve were to restrict the use of the word "pharmacy" to business under the control of duly qualified registered chemists, and to permit of chemists being exempted from service on juries. Both these alterations wero, Mr. Castle contended, in tho public interest. Finally there wns tho question of reciprocity. At present tho New Zealand qualification was of no use outside the Dominion, and it was desired to have reciprocal relations with any pharmaceutical governing body j in the British Dominions to rectify this. Tho whole of tho proposals wore intended to facilitate tho board's administration. Mr. A. Hobson, a member of the board,' nnd Mr. C. W. Neilsou, the board's registrar, also spoke, and pointed out that in nny case where tho alterations would offect tho public interest they were (I&signed only to protect tho public. The Minister, in reply, said that he had looked through the proposed alterations in the Bill as drafted, and had been in communication, with officers of tho De« partmeht. It appeared to him that (he whole of the board's requests were reasonable, and the reason that some of tho amendments wero not in the original Act was no doubt owing to oversight. Cer. tainly thcro was nothing in tho Act likely to creato objection on tho part of members, and as far as he could «e tho Bill was sure- (o lw favourably received by tinHouse. Speaking generally, on looking through tno proposnl*, (lie Bill wae ono that he could recommend to Cnbinet for favourable consideration, nnd ho would ■ The tlnMitJitfon Mji«!.'.«tl the Mlnletcr and withttiw.