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Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1929, Page 3

THE CHEMISTS. There are certain obligations imposed upon the chemist, uniform with those imposed upon doctors and others. He must retain and hold a prcscrplion for one year; lie. must not deliver a dangerous drug dispensed pursuant to a prescription other than by personal delivery, or delivery through the post, or delivery to the patient, for whose use the prescription is, or delivery to some other person who has authority from the patient to accept, delivery with drugs that are diluted, even though to an extent which places them outside the operation of the Act, and also the records to he kept by those dispensing, prcsi rib'iig, or manufacturing dangerous drugs, hospitals and similar institutions being required to conform to these requirements. l.n regard to dilutions, those-filch as morphine (2 per cent,), or cocaine (1 per cent) are exempt, but in the case of heroin and eegoniue, there is no exemption at all. In America, heroin cannot he obtained at all, tinlesi: through ’‘traffic,” as it is considered that the effects obtained by it can be equally well obtained by morphine or cocaine. Opium and is derivatives have, for a long time in New Zealand, been prohibited drugs, and have been controlled solely by the Customs, and a strict account has to ,be kept, not only of the amount imported, but its disposition. This did not formerly apply to cocaine, and what is familiarly known as “snow,” hut both of l he.se will now come under the regulations Them is provision in the Act by which any ether drugs 'found to In* hub'Lforming may lie included by Order-in--0.) unci!. At, this stage, the signatories to the Geneva Convention are considering the addition to the list of benzoyl-mor-phine, with other esters of morphine, and also eucodal and dicodidc. The Home Government, has already moved in respect to benzoyl-morphine, but it is not likely that action will be taken in New Zealand in the immediate future. ANOMALY FOUND IN ACT. What appears to he a somewhat disconcerting fact has been discovered in the new regulations which have just been issued under the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1927, and an opinion habecn expressed that the provision concerned is ultra vires by reason of the fact that it prohibits something which was deliberately legalised by ike Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1926. In citing those who may dispense . dangerous drugs, a paragraph of the second section of clause l says: “Veterinary surgeon” means a person for the tim being registered as a veterinary surgeon under the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1926. This would appear to prohibit t.fiO'So veterinary practitioner, who do not hold qualifications as veterinary surgeons, blit who were allowed to continue their practice under the 1926 Act, from prescribing dangerous drugs, which .they."have hitherto -been able to' do. When -liie Vbr erinary Surgeons Act of 1926 was passed provision w„*s made that those then in existence as veterinary practitioners lould carry on their business. Tile new regulation is stated to have had a disturbing effect upon those engaged in the profession.