El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-12

NAI AS the month OF August IS
one of the quietest in the re-
tail drug business. it is the time Sc
lected for the annual conventions of
the organized drug dispensers who, by
a comparison of experiences, each
year secure new ideas for the deveI-
opment of their specific line of trade
The National Association of Retail
Druggists is meeting in Milwaukee to-
day large proportion of the retail
druggists belong also to the American
Pharmaceutical association, which will
meet in Denver next week, and there
viii be sufficient time after the ad-
Journment of the Milwaukee meeting
for those who wish to make the trip
10 Denver comfortably in time for the
opening Of the convention of pharma-
cists.
Discuss Hours and Prices.
There are a number of important
matters to be considered by each of
these bodies The elevation of the
standards Of the profession is a mat
ter which both are trying to promote.
Ihen there comes up the problem of
the hours for drug clerks and the pos
Slolilt1es Of having a drug store closed
after reasonable trade hours The
adoptlon OF some system of price pro-
lection viii also come up as this is es-
pecially a field in which the Associa-
ton. of Retail Druggists has been
Plan Higher Standards.
Higher standards for pharmacists
and drug dispensers are being urged
in the different states. Louisiana has
adopted a recommendation to its Iegis-
lative committee that the graduate
prerequisite be approved and that a
bill enforcing it be introduced into
the state legislature. In New Jersey,
such bill has been endorsed by the
schools Of pharmacy but was defeated
last year for some outside reasons,
which, it is believed, will be overcome
when the. bill is again presented. In
New YORK, the pharmacy council of
the board of regents has passed a res
olut1On recommending that the degree
doctor of pharmacy be conferred only
after the completion of three years res
ident work subsequent to the attaining
This decision, If it can be carried
through, will practically place the de-
gree of doctor of pharmacy upon the
same basis as doctor. of medicine
This is much more work than has
been required by most other schools
and 1t is not certain that the board of
regents Of New York will be able to
carry their decision through although
the inflence of this attempt will be
widely felt In Pennsylvania, the new
bureau of professional education, es-
tablished by law at the last session Of
the legislature, has determined upon a
complete high school course or its
equivalent for ncensure to practice
pharmacy. In accordance with this the
state pharmaceutical examining board
has adopted the rule that applicants
for the license of assistant pharmacists
matriculating after July, 1912, must
have certificate Of preliminary edu-
cation issued by the bureau of educa-
ton In Missouri similar require
ment is made
Must Have College Work.
The state of Washington has gone
still further The board of pharmacy
OF that state has declared fEat, after
July l, 1913, all applicants for regis
tered pharmacists must have cOmplet-
ed one year OF work in a college of
pharmacy recognized by the board and,
after July. 1914, this requirement will
be advanced to full graduation from
a college embracing at least a two
years course The particular colleges
to be recognized are the two state
schools OF pharmacy and such other
schools and colleges as hold member.
ship in the American Conference of
Pharmaceutical Faculties.
May Have Shorter Hours.
a growing amount of attention is
being given TO the consideration of
some means of lessening the long hours
of the drug store. The fact that the
druggist has as much right to recrea-
ton and rest as other tradesmen is
being recognized and the means of Sc
curing it are now under discussion
both in England and America The
plan of keeping one store open in
locality on holidays and during unsea-
sonable hours has been tried in Eng
land with some success This will sup
ply the urgent needs but such plan
can be established only by a mutual
agreement among all of the local drug
gists and Is one OF the numerous bene-
fits to be secured by organization
It is generally acknowledged that. in
most stores. where there is an attend
ant on duty day and night to fill pre-
scTpuOns, there is not sufficient night
business to pay the salary of the clerk,
and yet in some towns there will be
half a dozen drug stores open within
the radius of a short walk and all of
trade enough to keep one clerk busy.
VIII Restrict Sales.
The organized retail druggists are
of laws restricting the sale of harm
full drugs. In Kentucky, where there
is an anCcOcaine law, no restriction
and this year, under the direction OF a
druggist member of the legislature, 4
bill was introduced and passed restrict
ing the sale Of Opiates to physicians
prescriptions. Incidentally, during
the debate on this bill, it was declared
that over 100000 ounces Of morphine
were sold annually in Kentucky, repre-
Senting 35O,000,00O average doses.
The drug trade organizations of
Pennsylvania, California Colorado and
a. number of other states are working
towards the suppression Of all lie
climate sales of drugs and towards
securing a greater amount of restric-
tive legislation in regard to poisons.
In this connection several local organ
lzatons have taken action recommend
ing the passage of a law prohibiting
newspapers from printing the names
OF drugs and the quantity constituting
fatal dose in cases of homicide and
suicide, since the publication of these
particulars has tendency to promote
such crimes.
4 Social Center.
In most communities, the drug store
plays the part of a social center anu
is ub-4zed by the public as a general
bureau of information. No other trades
men are more abused by the public.
Every drug store is expected TO keep
a current directory solely for the &C
commodation of the public and the
time of the clerk is quite apt to be
called in for selling postage stamps as
for articles furnishing a profit to the
store. He is expected TO be prepared
always to give full information to in
quiries, directions, addresses and other
matters of purely personal interest
With the large competition from the
numerous drug stores to be found in
most localities, the sale of drugs IS
really only a. minor feature in the av-
erage drug store. Numerous sidelines
must add to their profits or there
would be no store. Usually these side !
lines are well calculated to draw the |
public. There are few drug stores
without a soda fountain. which natur- ,
ally is the mecca for the young people /
OF the community Since the automO- |
bile has come into prominence, an up |
todate drug store on freQuented route !
draws much trade from autoists who 4
stop for sodas and other refreshments, /