Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-10
PHARMACISTS OF IOWA TO DE.
MAND LEGISLATION AIMED TO
CONSERVE INDEPENDENCE.
OBJECT TO BEING BossEp
RY BOARD OF PHYSICIANS
Enforcement Of Pharmacy Laws Should
Be in Control of Pharm acists, They
say-State Association Going After
Laws Whom State Legislature Next
Meets.
,ecial to Tlmes-Republ,can.

Des Moines, July 10.-There will be
the status Of pharmacists in Iowa at
the next session il present plans of
druggists are carried out. And 1t will
not be along the lines proposed by the
administration to the last general as
sembly. What the. druggists are going
after is legislation that will more
clearly define the field for the phar-
macist and give him virtual control of
that field. There Will be no subordina-
ton of the drug business to that OF
the physician and no turning over to
doctors the delicate duty of enforc-
ing the pharmacy laws Of the state
AT the meeting held the past week
In Ottumwa there was good deal of
talk about the future of the profess
sion of the pharmacist. 1t was agreed
that within the scope OF the laws
in Iowa there has been some progress
made and the reasonable and rational
enforcement OF the pharmacy laws the
past ten years was commended. But It
was agreed that the time has come for
asking for some legislation that will
give the pharmacist something in re-
turn for what he does for the state.
The druggists were thoroughly
aroused by the spirited talk given
them by Charles M. Carr, editor OF
Notes" the national association or
gan. published in Chicago. Mr.. Carr
felt at home talking to them because
he was reared at Boone. Some years
ago he was editor OF the Black Dia-
mond, newspaper published in Angus,
then town of 5000 and now a corn
field. But at Ottumwa he spoke for
the work of the national association
among the druggists.
What do think of the plan to turn
the whole pharmacy law matter over
to the state board Of health. or board
N.of doctors!" he repeated after an In
quiry as he, stopped off in Des Moines
on his way to his old home. "1t's rot
ten. Instead of abolishlng the phar-
macy commission and abandoning the
pharmacy laws. the Iowa druggists
need some new and effective legisla
ton that will protect them and give
them something substantial in return
for their outlay The work of the ma
tional association Is to urge this. And
as for the doctors. 1t seems incredible
to me that they, or any considerable
number of them. should lndorse any
plan to be of injury to the druggists
Of the state. The druggists and the
doctors so far as they have national
organizations, work in harmony for the
upbuilding of both, and to bring about
condition in which each profession
confines itself to its proper sphere.
III, tt, tn c,r ch n
officer of the state He is examined
and certified and the state insists up
on certain qualifications. He pays his
fee for his certificate. He supports
the pharmacy board. What does he
get In return? Any doctor can mix
medicines or start drug store and All
prescriptions. Any department store
can sell proprietary medicines by the
carload. Any peddler can get permit
to go about the country selling medi-
cines of all kinds to everybody. The
pharmacist Is not protected In any
way.
"The pharmacist is forbidden to pre-
scribe for patient. for that would be
getting into the special field Of the doc
tor, and the pharmacist is not edu-
Gated in the diagnosis of diseases But
a doctor may prescribe and he does in
fact go to his cabinet and prepare the
medicines for his patient. Now 1 know
that among the best physicians this is
seldom done, and a great many drug
gists conflne themselves strictly to dis
pensing drugs. But doctors are not
educated in pharmacy any more than
druggists are educated in materia
medica II the field of one Is prescribed
and defined. why not of the other?
Il am not saying but what Iowa has
some good laws. and they have been
we'll enforced. The druggists OF Iowa
are high minded and honorable as a
rule and conditions In the drug trade
are better than once they were and
there Is sincere desire on the part of
the druggists to bring about the best
possible conditions. The protection to
the public Should be real, and the drug
gists themselves should be given such
protection as they need and then be put
upon their nuuoT &c maintain n high
standard"
1t Is along this line that the drug
gists have been working a number OF
years, and because OF this fact 1t Is
certain that the pharmacists Of the
state will be heard from In the next
Iowa legislature.