The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-10-18
STATUS OF THE PRESCRIPTION.
Inference OF Opinion Among DOCTORS
Patients and Druggists.

Patients and Druggists.
Druggists and doctors and patients
are all interested in the question, to
whom does the prescription belong'
The doctors would be pleased to have
Il thought that the prescription is
sort of confidential note from doctor TO
druggist, often presented through the
medium of the patient. The theory is
that the confidential note is good for
one portion of the remedy prescribed
unless something in the note provides
that the prescription shall be ref1lled
one or more times.
Patients think that the prescription
is theirs to do with it as they VIII.
Some patients lend their prescriptions
to friends. This makes the doctor
angry; not only because it robs the
writer of the prescription OF possible
patient, but also because it renders the
writer of the prescription liable to the
suspicion Of malpractice if the lender
has improperly diagnozed the case OF
the borrower. AS layman is likely
to make false diagnosis, the doctors
seem to have reason and justice on
their side of the contention. Never
theless prescriptions are lent freely,
and the doctors have a choice collec-
ton of stories touching the results OF
laymen prescribing for their friends.
Some of these stories seem funny even
to 1aymen. AS to the doctors, they
laugh over them with much the same
ghoulish glee that an evil-disposed per-
son might manifest over the fate OF
burglar that had robbed him OF
poison by mistake for something
wholesome and profitable. Some
prescriptions are not only lent, but
actually converted into patent medi-
cines. 1t is conjectured that a physi-
clan whose name should be used as
guarantee of such a medicine would
have his action of libel by way of in
demnity. The doctors that furnish
compressed tablets without an accom-
panying prescription seem to get the
best of the prescription lenders.
The apothecaries stand between doc
tor and patient. Some druggists refuse
to refill a prescription without an or
der from the prescribing doctors. Most
of the druggists, however, refill pre-
scription as often as it is brought to
them, unless, indeed, it contains a
cumulative poison that might be dan
gerous to life. Should a patient die
from the effects of such poison per-
haps the druggist might be in peril
for having refilled it many times
without orders from the doctor.
Careful doctors warn druggists and
patients alike against refilling such
prescriptions by making caution on
the subject part and parcel of the pre-
scription itself Many druggists who
will refill prescription as often as the
patient wishes object to returning the
prescriptions or copy of it to the pa
tient. Some druggists, on the other
hand, make it point to ask whether
the patient wishes the prescription re-
turned. Many patients carry prescrip-
lions for years and have them renewed
for half lifetime. The proper cour-
tesy, if you are well off. is to ask your
doctor to renew the prescription when
you think you need it or something
like it. Some doctors will do this for
dollar, unless they distrust your self
diagnosis, in which case you are in
vited to call and let the doctor see
what is the matter. The doctors think
there should be judicial outgiving as
to the status of the prescription. IN.
Y. Sun.