Daily Kennebec journal., 1877-12-22
Report Of the Commissioners Of Pharma.

cy.
1t VIII be remembered BY most of our readers,
that the last legislature created board of Phar-
macy, to examine apothecaries and druggists, to
prevent persons not properly instructed in phsr-
macy, from engaging in the exceptionally hazar.
dous busines, OF compromising and dispensing
medicines and polsons. Other States and coun-
tries have enacted similar laws and at last Maine
followed the example. The Commissioners are II.
I. Cummings, Charles X. Partridge and n. 8.
Harlow, and these Commissioners have prepared
their report to be submitted TO the Governor and
Executive Council. Realizing the need of some
method of distinguishing between skilled and un-
skilled apothecaries, our best physicians and other
citizens who have considered the question, approve
the action Of the legislature in passing this law
and with scarcely an exception our intelligent
druggists and spothecaries have agreed With these
and have done what lay in their power to make
it popular and effective. The time is not far dis.
tant when all will wonder that so important q
function was ever entrusted to incompetent hs nds
Those in the business prior to the passage of the
act referred to- have the option Of registration on
proving their competence and good Standing, and
nearly all such who have applied have been grant
ed certificates without examination, having fur
nishcd evidence IS to length of service, education
in medicine or pharmacy, confidence Of local phv-
scians in their ability aud qusl fcstions, and other
testmonK as TO character and capacity for the bus
ipess. ln some cases the testimonials have not
been deemed satisfactory, or remonstrapces have
applicants, flor specified reasoDs,) and the Com
missioners have cited the applicants for eYamina.
ton; portion of those thus summoned have fail
ed to present themselves, while others have re-.
ported and passed successfully the required exam
ination.
So far as can be judged from the doings of a
single year, the law has given general satisfac-
tion, and bids fair to accomplish the object for
which it was formed. The young men in the bus.
ness and their assistants have been stimu to
study the theory and practice of their profession,
| preparing themselves for creditabe examinations,
and to show clearly their right to certificates of
registration.
The first years experience shows that some
| changes are necessary to be made in the law. The
Commissioners advice the insertion of a clause
forbidding the holder Of certificate of registra-
tion from conducting the business of more than
one shop BY virtue thereof; to allow a certificate
| To cover AS many dispensing shops as the holder
might choose to establ sh, would nulliy the plain
intention OF the law, which is, to ensure the per.
| sonal supervision of qualified person over the
| business of every dispen.a,y. A Change should
be made, also, that any person may own an inter
est IN the business Of one or more apOthec aries,
provided that every such shop shall be under the
| personal charge of reg istered apohecary.
| Alcohol and other forms Of sprituous liquors
are required IN compromising medicines, anu are
also directed to be used ss medicines by medical
| authorities everywhere. Our best ply sicians and
| all OF our pharmacOp9ias and text books order
them TO be used. No apothecary can properly
| conduct hs business without using wines and
spnits; he is obliged to keep them in stock, and
sometimes to dispense them. While these fact,
are generally recognized and admitted the apoth
ecsry still remains under the ban of the law, and
is liable to severe punishment for ooeying the
direction of physician, for yielding t. the i'm
potunites Of those whose sick and dying friend
need the prescribed stmuants. complaint
dictated by malice revenge ensures the seizure
and destruction OF his costly stock of such medi-
cines, and perhaps entails fines and impris nt
In past years there would have been difficulty in
discriminating in favor of dealers 10 medicines,
because no exact definition could be made as to
what constituted an apothecary, and should ex-
empt him from the operation of the general law
but now, under the Pharmacy Act, tue class is
strictly defined and designated, and there need be
no dlfficuty In deciding whether . man is pursu.
my his Legitimate business IS a pharmacist or is
making medicine cloak for illegal traffic The
spothecary, having been duly registered and rec
ognized by the law as qualified to deal IN Inedi.
cines and poisons eau be safely sllow we'd measure
OF freedom in this respect, and under proper re
strictlon to dispense ell medicines that invalid,
and physicians may require. While the Commis.
sloneis do not recommend any specific legislation
on this subject they do not doubt that ,hs legiss
ture viii see the injustice done to this class And
provide . remedy.
As 1t may sometimes happen that certificates
: may be given to the unworthy, the question II
submitted as to the addition of clause autborz.
ing judges Of the supreme or superior courts to
revoke certificates Of registry on proved CON-
plants OF gross carssssness. criminality, OF yiols.