Modern Drugs “Require More Accurate Dosage”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30448, 23 May 1964, Page 14

Modern Drugs “Require More Accurate Dosage”

The potency, of modern drugs makes more accurate dosage necessary and is one of the reasons why the metric system has been adopted in preference to the teaspoon, says Dr. T. E. D. Brain, president of the Canterbury division of the Chemists’ Service Guild of New Zealand, in reply to a letter to the editot of “The Press” signed “Spoonful” seeking information on the use and price of medicine measures.

The correspondent writes:— “While wrapping my bottle of cough mixture in a chemist’s recently, the . girl serving me included a fivemillilitre measure in the parcel. I queried the sense in including, this as five millilitres are equivalent to one teaspoon. However, she insisted, saying that teaspoons varied in size. But why, 1 argued, do you suddenly take an interest in the correct size of teaspoons when medicine has been measured by spoons

for as long as I can remember?. She still insisted. So, to keep the peace, I accepted it. She then charged me 6d. On relating my tale later to a group of friends, I discovered a great variance in the price of these little plastic measures which would cost no more than a penny or two to produce. Some had been charged Is, others nothing at all. Racketeering is bound to come with the new metric system, and I cannot help but wonder if it has not already begun. What price, if any, should we be paying for these measures and why; if five millimetres are equal to one teaspoon, can we not still use the teaspoon?” Doctor’s Reply

“Because of the potency of new drugs which are used today a more accurate dosage is required, hence one of the reasons for the change from the old apothecary system to the metric system which was introduced by the Health Department last November,” Dr. Brain said.

“The. ‘household teaspoon’ can hold as little as 3 mils, and as much as 7 mils, to 8 mils., which gives a wide variation in dosage.“Five millilitre plastic spoons retail for 6d. The 40 miL plastic measures retailed for Is 6d when the metric system was introduced but since then the manufacturers have reduced their price' and they now sell for Is. “Some drug companies have for some two or three years supplied.a 5 mil. plastic spoon with their products and when these products are ordered by a doctor the spoon is supplied free. This applies particularly to penicillin preparations. “I would suggest that the writer take the dosage ordered by the doctor,” Dr. Brain says.