CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20056, 30 September 1939, Page 14

CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

PHARMACY BILL TERMS DANCER OF QUACKERY DERATE IN THE HOUSE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. In moving the committal of Pharmacy Bill No. 2 when the House of Representatives resumed yesterday afternoon, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, said there were two aspects of the bill, namely, professional, and what might be termed commercial. Regarding the former, that part of the measure was substantially a consolidation of the existing legislation. The real controversy which had occurred on the previous Pharmacy Bill which had been before the House had not been about the professional side, but rather in regard to the commercial side of the measure, as embodied in two clauses which defined who may or may not be permitted to sell drugs. This difficulty had eventually been overcome by agreement between the parties eoncerhed.

One of the chief controversial subjects had been the question of who should be entitled to sell proprietary medicines, but it had been decided that the matter should be left to the decision of the Minister, with a proviso that he should consult the different interested parties before finally arriving at a decision. Chemists were chiefly affected by this decision, but he had made it plain to them that they would not expect an early decision on the matter on account of other urgent business which was at present occupying the Government’s attention.

Door to “Quackery” Discussing the bill in committee, Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Nat., Riccarton) said; they should be stopping quackery instead of opening the door for it, as would be effected by the clause which the Minister was introducing in the bill affecting herbalists. No dou'bt the Minister would say that some day he would bring down a Quackery Prevention Bill, but then quacks would be able to say they had been operating already under this legislation. The original provision had been designed to prevent people who called themselves herbalists commencing business after the passing of the Act, but the clause before the House opened the door for them. He urged the Minister to close the door to further operation by herbalists. The clause, which was allowed to pass, replaces the amendment recommended by the Public Healtlf Commiteee. It authorises any person who is a member of New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists to commence business after the passing of the bill, with the Minister's consent.

The bill was put through the committee stages, given its third reading and passed.