CHAIN CHEMISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 19

CHAIN CHEMISTS.

TRAINING APPRENTICES. PHARMACY BOARD'S FEARS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) DUNEDIN, this day. Referring to tho introduction of legislation to protect retail chemists from the competition of chain stores, as suggested in a petition to Parliament, a local member of the Pharmacy Board said: "The board lias for a long time been very much concerned about the possible future extension of company pharmacy of any kind. Under the Pharmacy Act, students are apprenticed to a qualified chemist for four years, during which tuition on the practical side is given. Company pharmacy would tend to lessen the personal association between master and apprentice, and would give an opportunity for the companies to use appreiir tices as a means to cheap labour. Again, some types of company pharmacy would not be bothered taking apprentices aud allowing for their proper training." The chemists of New Zealand,-,he said, had spent £10,000 in erecting ft eollego of pharmacy at Wellington for more, intensive training in the scientific side of pharmacy. A highly qualified director and staff were engaged, and it had been hoped that by this time chemists would have had some further protection for their legitimate calling and would thus have been able to sup' plenient the costs of apprentices and students. Should the dangers which the board considered would arise eventuate through the extension of company pharmacy, it was questionable whether chemists could be expectcd to bear so much of the cost and trouble of training future pharmacists.