Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-31
Medicines Containing Poisonous
Drugs Must Not be Sold
Without Prescription.
VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW GENERAL
All Over Virginia the Requirements
Seem to be Misunderstood, and
Special Agents Are Kept at wcrk
Securing Evidence end Prosecuting
cases-Enforcemen to be Rigid.

All over Virginia the laws r>eu,nt-
Ing the sale of medicines containing
poisonous drugs seem to be misnndtr.
stood ANA violations lave beer so
general that the Virginia state l,oarl
OF Pharmacy has deemed II nl>is.;.
bic To issue a circular which explains
the laws ana is in the nature of 4
warning to all druggists and general
sore keepers
In this city several prominent drug
lists have been fined Tor violating ;le
law. and special agents have been mt
work all over the Sta.e securing evi-
Gencc and prosecuting cases.
The Boards CIrculai.
Following is the circular sent out
by tho pharmacy boarG:
Notwithstanding the earnest and
continuous efforts OF the board of
pharmacy for some years past to dis
seminatc knowledge and instruction
as 10 the pharmacy law and rs to
how and by whom medicines may be
sold, there seems TO be widespread
misunderstanding us TO certain clauses
of the pharmacy law.
Section 1859 of the pharmacy law
declares that no one. except regis
tered pharmacist or an assistant reg
istered pharmacist. shall sell or dis
pcnsc on prescription or otherwise
any medicine of any kind. This is
clear and very positive.
Section 1865 permits merchants to
sell household and domestic remedies
but they should he in original bottles
or packages. put up by registered or
assistant rcpStored pharmacists
This section as il stands appears TO
permit merchants to sell laudanum
and morphine in original packages.
Int II must he noted that the first
mart of the section declares positively
that all the provisions of section 1763
and 1864 are binding upon merchants.
at is also to be noted that the
whole pharmacy law was revised and
amended in 1891. and again in 1901.
section 1863 was so amended ms to
prohibit The sale of morphine and
cocaine ana their preparations except
npon physicians PRESCRIPTION
fohvslcian here meaning NJ D.. y. d.
s. ana V. 81. and that such pre-
scrintion must be filed and not re-
filled and no conv given of H. and
rs such prescription can only be DIS
ponsol by registered pharmacist or
by and assistant registered pharma-
tlSi. ~ ~ 'l''I tHii inc last amend
ment of section 1864 was intended
to repeal section l7G5 in so Ear as
section l7G5 is inconsistent with the
list amendment of section 1863 ana
that therefore no one is allowed to
sell morphine and cocaine and their
preparations except registered or
assistant registered pharmacist and
these only under The special restric.
lions above mentioned.
There are now upon the market
quite number of proprietary rene
dies. such as cough syrups, catarrh
cures ana local applications that con
tain morphine ana cocaine. as shown
by their labels
In regard to such proprietary rem,
edies. the board OF pharmacy Is adj
vised by the attorney general of Vir-
ginia that the sale of such remedies
is in violation of the pharmacy law
and cannot be allowed. and, acting
under that advice the board has de-
termined to make an effort to enforce
the law and 10 prevent the sale of
such remedies after the first of Oc-
toltcr. 1907. and this notice is there.
fore given to You and each of you
that yon may aid the board IN en-
forcing the law. and that you may
not have any Of such remedies in
your stock on or after the first day
of October, 1907.
Very respectfully,
THE BOARD OF PHARMACY
OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. .