A CHRISTCHURCH SCANDAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 425, 26 May 1902, Page 2

A CHRISTCHURCH SCANDAL.

[By Telegraph—Press Association]. Christchurch, Saturday

> At a meeting of the Pharmaceutical ' Association of Canterbury a grave scandal 1 was revealed in connection with doctors’ prescriptions. One of the leading chemists moved : “ That this Association disapprove of the giving of secret commissions 1 to doctors in any form whatever.” He said a great evil had grown out of the practice of giving these commissions. One 1 Christchurch firm was paying commissions amounting to 50 per cent, on the retail price. As the outcome of the practice nine out of ten prescriptions written by some medical men would contain the name of the firm referred to. Out of every prescription worth 2s 6d the amount of Is 3d would go in commission given by that firm. Another evil was that druggists who frequently paid 50 per cent in commission could not make up the loss by a higher charge, as they were in competition with other druggists. When a doctor had to receive 50 per cent, it reduced the chemist to such a position that he could not honestly dispense the prescription. Several notorious cases where the health of patients had been considerably injured by that practice were quoted, and it was said there were other cases in which the matter had been brought under the notice of a doctor, who, though aware that the prescription had not been honestly made up, refused to go to tho chemist who dispensed it and complain, as he was in tho same box as the chemist. A discussion ensued, one chemist stating that there were doctors in the city who libelled druggists who did not give them commissions, but took good care they did | not come within the libel law. Another said there were many cases where a cer- ] tain preparation was ordered of a standard i brand, and the chemist’s own brand was t made up, owing to the expensive drugs { needed for tho prescription. j Eventually the motion was carried j unanimously. ]