The Portland daily press., 1876-10-26
REpETrTIoNs oFpKEsCRIpTIoNs
Meeting of The Cumberland Coanty Medi-
cal Association.

of the Medical School, and, as was previously
announced, the question of repetition as we'll as
ownership of prescriptions was discussed.
There was very good attendance of physi-
clans with a few druggists, and the best of feel.
ing prevailed during the meeting. AT the open
| ing of the meeting the President DR.. Shannon,
called upon DR.. Gerrish to give review OF the
last meetin and of his essay on the subject to
| be discussed. DR.. GerrIsh stated that there
was no conflict with the druggists in this mat
ter, DIS has been stated, all each want is to be OF
| the greatest service to the public. This was the
| object of the essay, to get the views OF both
parties upon this very important subj ect, and
| to do this it INST be discussed, and that is what
we are to be about to-day. The Doctor explain
| ed why the matter could not be postponed as
was wished by the druggists, and denied that
they were trying 10 gain any unjust thing over
the druggist, but that they wish all to have
| equal privileges in the meeting. He then of
| fered the following resolutions:
Resolved That in cases in which it seems
| probable that the filing of prescription be-
| yond certain number of times will result in
juriouslg to the patient or others, we will writo
| across the face of the papers the words, Not
| to be repeated, or ITO be repeated - times,
| OF Will III some OGl6r way plainly indicate our
| desire to this effect
ReSolced, That we deprecate the practice OF
filling copies of prescriptions in cases where
| the physician who wrote the original is accessi-
BILE.
| ResOloed, That as we believe that special edu
| cation ana training in diagnosis and. therapeu-
| tics are essential to the safe administration Of
medicines, we therefore discountenance pre-
| scribing by apothecares, including under this
| head the refiling of physicians prescriptions
| without direct or implied permission from their
authors and the recommend alton of proprieta-
~ and other medicines as remedies for any DIS
ease, excepting in cases OF sudden emergency,
as where poison has been taken and physician
cannot be speedily procured.
The resolutions were laid upon the table until
the next meeting but the first one received
considerable attention.
Mr.. Schlotterbeck, who was the first speaker,
was in favor of the first resolution, but he
though the physician was the one to tell the
patient that it was not to be repeated, and not
the druggist.
Mr. III . Fl. Hay asked to see the resolutions
which were attached to the original essay read
at the last meeting. Dr.. Gerrish replied that
no resolutions were attached to the essay. but
simply few suggestions, presented in form
to bring out discussion, ''aud they have &C
complished the result" the Doctor added,
Mr.. Hay then referred to the ownership of
prescriptions. He spoke of gentleman who
carries prescription in his! pocket, claiming it
as his because he paid forit Mr.. Hay thought
it was very necessary that druggists should keep
the original prescriptions as protection to them
selves. At the request Of DR.. Hersom Mr.. Hay
read from the report of the American Pharma-
ceutical Association for 1867, clause in which
they decided that prescription was the prop
erty of druggist after it passed from the ply
scian.
DR.. T. A. Foster, who probably has as much
reason to be interested in this matter as any
physician in the city, did not object to the reso-
luton, but thought it would result in nothing
at all. For month he thought it would do
well enough, and then physicians would neg
lect to write the words ''Not to be repeated"
He thought that druggists as we'll as physi-
clans were interested in this matter and they
should aim to help one another. A prescrip-
ton is simply an order from physician to
druggist and it is property as much as private
note be receives. When a prescription has
once been filled it has done its duty and all
that can naturally be required of it, No man
uuyS d plCsCIipblOu HUN puJslClau. "A HAL
may pay for advice but never for prescrip-
ton. If the physicians wish 20 have a pre-
scription repeated let them label it Repeat
when called for" If the apothecary repeats
without such authority, he sells it just as he
does patent medicine. If apothecaries wish
to sell patent medicines, they have that privil-
ege, and if they wish to repeat our prescrip-
tions they have that privilege; but they ought
to respect our rights. Physicians don't recon-
mend patent medicines, not because they are
not sood-many of them are-but because the
doctors don't know what their ingredients are,
and the PATIENTS don't know if their own symp-
toms render their use proper He thought the
physicians had a right to ask apothecares to
peat their prescriptions only when so ordered.
The Homeopathic physicians carries his medi-
cines with him, acting in both capacities In
most cases, he would be willing to write ire
peat on his prescriptions. But if patient
would not use the!prescription honestly, he had
rather not give him one, but send his Office boy
with it to be filed. He referred to the misera-
BILE results of the misuse of one of his prescrip-
tons, and said when lie thought of it, he OBJ.
jected to refilling of presc riptions generally
without special orders.
DR.. Brennan thought that a prescription
should be filed but once and that it properly
belonged to the druggist.
DIR. Holt, formerly physician, now drug
gist, had no objection to the resolution, but he
thought they should be allowed to repeat those
for simple remedies.
Mr.. lotion complained of a trouble that was
liable to arise if the druggist should refuse to
fill prescription as many times as was desir-
ed. He thought the directions should be writ
ten plainly on the prescriptions so that the pa
tent could see what the druggist was allowed
to do.
DR.. Hersom was perfectly willing tina many
of his prescriptions should be repeated, but if it
was done he wanted to know it. For instance,
if he prescribed a little opium some day he did
not want the patient to get that prescription
filled every morning until he (Hersom) was ac-
cused of making opium eaters and drunkards.
He had rather have many prescriptions re-
peated than to stop to rewrite them every
morning.
DR.. Hill feared the persons would counter
felt the directions upon the prescriptions if
made too plain and he thought great care
should be used.
DR.. Files did not think il possible to prevent
crime wholly, but that they would do all they
could to protect themselves, the druggists and
the people,
Dr. Gerrish thocght the resolutions if passed
and the profession and pharmacists through
out the state notified-would be of great
benefit, and the fault would lie at their doors if
they did not try to carry them into effect.
DR.. Foster thought it would be difficult to
describe more clearly the feeling of all the pro-
fession than in the resolutions as worded. But
you can't make physicians and apothecaries OBJ
serve rules passed by minority.
1t was therefore thought best to bring the
matter more fully before those interested at an
other meeting. 1t was finally decided to hold
a convention of physicians and druggists at a
future day, to discuss the matter, all having an
equal voice. and a committee consisting of Drs.
Files, Hersom and I. A. Foster was appointed
on the part of the physicians to meet COM
mittee of druggists to set the time and perfect
arrangements.
THE ART PICTURES. -After the fine exhibit