The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-11
Abuses of Druggists Complained of
By Doctors.
POPULAR IDEAS DISPELLED
ACTS OF SUBSTITUTION AND
REPETITION ARE THE SINS.
Some of Salt Lakes ''Pillrollers" Re-
ceive the Undivided Attention Of
the Medical Mems Society-Pa-
tients Suffer and Then Blame
Their Physicians.

Doubtless the average person believes
that the relations between the pharma-
cist and the physician are always mu-
tually cordial and beneficial. But after
listening TO the discussion of this topic
at last evenings meeting of the Salt
Lake medical society, anyone holding
the popular opinion would have had
his notions in this respect disSelled
forever. The proposition that prescrip-
ton druggists are frequently guilty OF
perpetrating gross abuses on the medl-
cal men and their patients and OF COM
hitting divers and sundry acts of I'M
professional conduct, was alleged by
many OF the medicOS present at the
meeting, while others declared their eX-
perience with the pharmacists warrant
ed them in concurring only in part with
their professional brethren who main
tanned the ultra side of he question
There was no jury present, but after
the discussion ended the verdict was
that the filters of prescriptions were
guilty Of all that had been charged
against them.
DIR. HAZEL'S EXPERIENCES.
The programme of the evening was
devoted to a paper on the Relations
of Pharmacists to Physicians prepar-
ed and read by DIR. T. II. Hazel, and
the resulting discussion that was par
ticipated in by over score of the most
prominent local physicians. DR.. HaZefS
paper embraced both sides of the prop
osition. His service as a pharmacist
and his later practice as a physician
and surgeon equipped him TO alleSe as
we'll as to rebut.
The two chief offenses laid at the
doors of prescription druggists We're
stated to be substitution and reDetl-
ton. BY substitution it was alleged
that frequently a doctors prescription
which calls for certain compounds IS
filled by the pharmacist using Some-in-
gredient not called for in the prescrlp-
tioD. because the required article is not
in stock. Usually the substituted artl-
Gle is harmless in its effects, and both
the patient and the physician are bat-
fled to know that the medicine accom-
Dlished no cure. Then, of course, the
patient loses confidence in the skill OF
his medical adviser. Several instances
were cited by the followers of Galen to
prove this charge.
RECOMMENDED REMEDIES
As to the allegation that druggists
are sometimes prone to encouI age
countless repetition of a prescription
for the ailments of a patient and all
his friends who are similarly afflicted,
evidences were related showing that
harmful results invariably follow, be-
cause of the choral, cocaine and other
drugs which should not be taken indiS-
criminately, even as nerve tonicS, with
out the physician has opportunity 10
study the patients condition and needs.
The conscientious prescription clerk
discourages the practice of reDetitions
and warns the patron who wants the
bottle or the powder papers retiIied sc
frequently that if he Slew the nature
and effect Of the medicine he would
consult his doctor before taking any
more doses.
In condemning these abuses numers
Gus instances in proof of their occur
renee We're cited by the doctors. but
the statement was as frequently made
that all druggists in Salt Lake City
were not after the almighty dollar at
the expense of human life and comfort.
In the language of DR.. Fisher, who was
once q pharmacist. there are some
quack prescription druggists as well as
quack doctors, but the majority of the
drug fraternity practiced the code Of
ethics and morals in all cases
OWNERSHIP OF PRESCRIPTIONS
Relative to the ownership of a pre-
seription, the great weight of author
ity at the meeting held that <tescrlp-
ton belonged to the pharmacist as his
protection, but he is bound TO give the
patient or patron a copy of it on re-
quest of the one who brought it TO him
to have filled.
1t was suggested at the meeting
that the doctors of the city should
unite in q request to the local drug
gists to cease in their wrongdOing, but
action on the proposed plan was de-
ferred.
Dr. Wilcox will read a paper at the
society's next meeting, but the title
was not announced.