Evening star., 1933-05-05
80 DAYS SUPPLY OF LIQUOR
MAY BE PRESCRIBED BY DOCTORS
New Regulations Wipe Out Old Orders
and Rely on Good Faith"
of Physicians.

after its issue shall notify in writing
the supervisor Of permits Of the Bu-
reau Of Industrial Alcohol, giving all
the information required to be written
on the prescriptions, without disclos-
ing tha nature Of the patients ailment.
It Is further provided that in no case
shall q physician issue prescription
for q quantity Of spirituous or vinous
liquor in excess Of that required to
meet the medicinal needs Of his pa
tient for q period Of 80 days.
It Is further provided as an addi-
tional protection that no person shall
by any statement or representation
that he knows is false, induce any ply
sician to prescribe liquor for medicinal
use, when there Is no medicinal need
for such liquor, or in excess OF the
amount Of medicinal liquor needed.
Filled In Three Days.
Under the present regulations a pre-
scrtption must be filled within three
days after it is issued by the physician:
under the new regulations the patient
Is given seven days.
Druggists will find the restrictions
around their handling Of prescription
liquor to be greatly relaxed. Whereas
they now are required to give bond for
obtaining quantity Of liquor in excess
Of so gallons year, they will only be
required to give bond after May is,
when they have on hand at any one
time more than Is gallons Of spurious
liquor and fifteen gallons Of wine. In
other words the limitation for the year
is removed. A special bond will be re-
qutred for possessing at one time more
than 40 gallons Of spirituous and vim
Gus liquors.
Retail druggists no longer will be re-
quired to supply an afildavit when NJ
ing an application for a permit to pur-
chase medicinal liquors. Druggists no
longer will be required to keep dupli-
Gates Of prescriptions, nor to report to
to the Government the names and
addresses Of all persons getting pre-
scriptions. They will file only the
supervisor Of permits only the number
Of prescriptions nlled, except the names
must be supplied in the case Of special
permits where an unusual quantity IS
prescribed, as authorized
Distillers will no longer have to keep
special numbers on cases and strip
stamps on bottles, and every one who
handles the bottles will also be relieved
Of the necessity of accounting for each
bottle according to its number.
Alcoholic Content Defined.
"Spirituous" liquor under the regula-
tons Is construed to mean alcohol
whisky, brandy, rum, gin and other
distillates; the term vinous liquor is
construed to mean wine containing
more than 80 per cent of alcohol by
weight. including the fermented juice
Of the grapes and such berries as are
commonly used In production Of wine.
No prescriptions, Of course, are needed
for beverages including 80 per cent Of
alcohol or less. Certain medicines are
listed to be sold only by prescription.
The regulations will not apply, how
ever, In States which prohibit the
prescribing Of liquor by physicians.
The heart Of the regulations concern
ing quantities prescribed provides that
physician shall not prescribe for a
patient at any one time a quantity of
spirttuous or vinous liquor in excess of
what he In good faith believes is re-
quired to meet the medicinal needs Of
the patient as shown by the patients
condition at the time Of prescribing.