DANGEROUS DRUGS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1929, Page 6

DANGEROUS DRUGS

EFFECT OF RESTRICTIONS. “SOMEWHAT IRRITATING.’’ : Twelve months ago the dangerous drugs regulations . came. into force, as a result of which restrictions were imposed on chemists and others concerned in the prescribing and dispensing of prescriptions containing certain drugs. Judging from inquiries among Wellington chemists, the operation of the regulations has proved somewhat irritating, although it is generally admitted tnat the Health Department is endeavouring to work in with members of the profession in administering them. A leading Wellington chemist, Mr G. J. S. Rickard, explained that at a conference of the League of Nations at Geneva every member had agreed to pass an Act to control dangerous drugs. That was, he said, the real reason why the New Zealand Government had passed the Act-—not that any drug traffic existed in the Dominion. ‘ ‘Although no occasion exists for the measure in this cou-Atry,” said Mr Rickard, “had New Zealand not passed the Act it would have become a dump-ing-ground for illicit‘drugs for disposal here, and re-export to other countries.” ■' ' : ‘

KEEPING OF RECORDS. It was pointed out that under the Act regulations were ! drafted and certain; drugs were 'enumerated which could only be supplied froni a prescription by a qualified medical practitioner who could order the dose to be repeated on two subsequent ’dates'to be stated on the prescription. The prescription oecame rthe property of the, chemist. 'The reason fdr this was to prevent a drug addict' from- going with • a prescription from due Chemist to another." Furthermore it was necessary fob the chemist to ha-vA something to show as evidence; ifi'required, that ne actually used a certain' amount of tne drug prescribed. The'regulations also required the medical practitioner's name to be signed in full on the prescription. ' ' ■ Records bad to lie kept and a sixmonthly balance made of prescriptions supplied by chemists. These were open to inspection by the Health Department at any time. So far no inspection has been made of Mr Rickard’s records, and he believed that this applied to other chemists in Wellington. “The Department is trying to work hand in hand with the chemists,” he said, “and doing everything in its power to make the regulations run as smoothly as possible.” As an example of tbi\ Mr Rickard mentiohed that th eci ait reguhiions required chemists to ..apply for a license to sell drugs, bjit after consultation with the Pharmacy Board (of which Mr Rickard is a'mend or ) this was amended, and the Government agreed to accept the hoard’s register of pharmaceutical chemists as the authority for the, sale of drugs..

OPIUM ACT REPLACED. Mr Rickard related how a traveller, whose duties took him to all parts of the world, entered his shop soon after the regulations came into operation. This man suffered from a seasonal ’eye complaint, and he treated it with a prescription containing one oif the drugs affected by the regulations. The prescription he presented was smothered with the stamps of chemists tnroughout the world. When Mr Rickard told his prospective customer, that he could not supply him with the prescription, and also 1 the reasons, the result was an outburst against New Zealand, the Government of the day, tis legislation, and it. was generally condemned in no uncertain manner as a race, of kill-joys and wowsers. “The regulations’are perhaps somewhat irritating;” said Mr Rickard, who brought out his record book to show a “Dominion” reporter his bal-ance-sheet of the drugs he had used. “It is, I think, only a matter of a very short time and chemists will become reconciled to the new regulations and find the little trouble, for when all is said and done they do not impose a great deal more hardship than the Opium Act which they replace.”