Cost Of Drugs

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 3

Cost Of Drugs

Sir, “Disgusted with Labour” makes a very serious charge of waste of medicines; but we have only the unsubstantiated word of an anonymous correspondent. May I ask him to supply the name of the chemist to you, sir, in strict confidence, so that you may obtain from the chemist confirmation or denial of his allegation? A letter from your correspondent stating that this has been done, together with an editorial footnote stating the outcome of the confidential inquiry, would authenticate a statement which everyone must, in the meantime, take with a grain of salt.—Yours, etc., PROOF, PLEASE. March 21, 1962. [We shall be glad to make the inquiry if “Disgusted with Labour” accepts the suggestion.—Ed., “The Press.”]

Sir, —I have today read a letter in “Tire Press” signed by “Disgusted With Labour.” I am amazed. I have worked in large city and small suburban pharmacies for the last 15 years and I have rarelyseen an unclaimed bottle of Ji-kv -SWi to do? Is he trying to condition the public to a charge on prescriptions that the Prime Minister has assured us will not be put on? Controlled by seven days’ supply, wastage on medicine is practically nil. Quoting from the 1958 Health Department report: “New Zealand gets good value for its expenditure on drugs.” New Zealand costs of medicine are among the lowest in the lowest group in the world.— Yours, etc., BOVINE. March 21, 1962. Sir. —Surely both “Taxpayer” and Mr Lake know that prescriptions from doctors for drugs are carefully checked by the Health Department. They can both rest assured that any overprescribing would soon be stopped by the Health Department’s pharmaceutical inspectors. Perhaps “Taxpayer” has heard the story of the town which had very low rates, but had unswept streets and overflowing garbage cans. The attitude of the parish council was like his towards our free drugs scheme. i.e., reduced costs and little or no service. Mr Lake’s moaning about high drug costs is laughable when rone considers that they paid ;Dr. Turbott’s costs in a legal action because he did the Public Service Commission

some service in an appeal. The Government has also squandered money on expensive homes and flats for its Ministers. No howls went up from Mr Lake and his Tory colleagues about this waste of money.—Yours, etc,, DISILLUSIONED NATIONALIST. March 20, 1962.