PHARMACY BENEFITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1941, Page 7

PHARMACY BENEFITS

SERVICE STARTS ON MONDAY

CO-OPERATION OF WAIRARAPA CHEMISTS.

LEADING POINTS OF SCHEME.

All chemists in the Wairarapa, from Woodville southwards, have agreed to co-operate in the Social Security pharmacy benefits scheme, whicn will come into operation on Monday. The benefits apply to any prescription given by a registered medical practitioner irrespective of' the doctor's contract for free medical service under the scheme. The prescription must be signed by a medical practitioner on or after the date of commencement of benefits (Monday next). If the prescription is written by the practitioner on his printed letterhead, his initials only may be accepted if the Department is otherwise satisfied that it is the doctor's prescription but otherwise the full signature is necessary.

The effect will be that any person entitled to other benefits under the Act, on receiving a prescription from a registered medical practitioner, will be entitled to" obtain the medicine prescribed free of charge from any chemist who has contracted to supply “pharmaceutical requirements” in terms of the regulations recently gazetted. Every prescription must show the name and usual place of residence of the person to whom it relates, the signature of the person presenting the prescription and the date of presentation.

There is one qualification, that medicines provided free are limited to drugs and other materials classified as “official" in the British Pharmacopoeia. This rules out proprietary preparations, which are often prescribed by doctors, and which applicants will have to procure at their own expense. This means that if a prescription of a number of ingredients contains among them some proprietary line drug, the social security scheme will not pay for that part of the prescription. A scheme has been evolved whereby the value of that part of the prescription will have to be paid by the person for whom the medicine is made up. ADDITIONAL CHARGES.

Before fulfilling a prescription a chemist should inform the customer of any additional charges payable. Additional charges may be made for afterhour dispensing, for delivery, in respect to preparations or substances that are excluded from the expression “pharmaceutical requirements” for the purposes of the benefits or in respect to quantities supplied in excess of the maximbm quantities defined. In connection with supplies which have to be posted to customers provision is made in the regulations that the chemist may demand pre-payment of the postage. Where it is impossible or impracticable to obtain pre-payment the chemist will, under an arrangement entered into with the Post Office, be entitled to forward the package by post, the postal charges to be collected on delivery by the post office authorities. Special labels for this purpose will be supplied by the Department. The responsibility is on the patient or his agent to make arrangements for any desirable alternative method of delivery by private or semi-private means. The charges by chemists will still be based on their present schedule, from which the Social Security Department will make a small percentage deduction when making the payments to chemists. TEN DAYS' SUPPLY.

Unless a prescription calls for one or two repeats, which have to be stipulated by the doctor, the patient is entitled to ten days' supply only. If the prescription calls for more than that, either the patient pays for the difference or elects to take the lesser quantity. Where repeats are stipulated by the doctor, not more than ten days’ supply can be given at one dispensing and the repeats must be consumed within four months. An exception is made in the case of insulin, in which instance four months’ supply may be prescribed in the original prescription. When repeats are obtained the patient or his agent must give the chemist a receipt, so that the chemist can collect his dues from the Government.

It is stressed that the public have definite obligations under the scheme and are asked to assist chemists in presenting prescriptions as early in the day as possible, as chemists will be called upon to give the public a considerable amount of extra time in interpreting the provisions of the regulations and in the completion of the details required. Chemists, under the scheme, will have a greatly increased amount of work to perform at no extra remuneration and under the provision of the regulations have to concede 21 per cent discount to the Government. Under the scheme the patient surrenders the right to retain the prescription. No prescription could be repeated free if the original did not have the doctor's directions to that effect. Certain authorised midwifery phar-, maceutical requirements are obtainable under the scheme. LIMITATIONS CF SCHEME. Referring to the scheme, a chemist slates: "The schedule of drugs which may be supplied is confined to those classified as 'official' in the British Pharmacopoeia. The whole range of gland substances, which play a very important part in modern clinical medicine, is excluded, with the sole exception of Thyroid extracts. The only vitamin preparations included are halibut liver oil and extract of wheatgerm. More than this, no proprietary preparations may be supplied, although it is safe to say that at least 50 per cent of doctors' prescriptions contain them. A very large number of valuable medicinal substances can only be obtained in these preparations, for many of which there is no substitute. Cue notable example is a substance which is now regarded as essential in the treatment of pneumonia, and many more could be mentioned. "It is in regard to those proprietary preparations, long courses of which are often prescribed by doctors, that the burden of cost falls heaviest upon many patients, for such remedies tend to be expensive. There is no doubt whatever that large sections of the public will be grievously disappointed to find that the Social Security Fund gives them no help whatever in a matter where, (heir need is greatest."