SUNDAY MEDICINE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 56, 15 September 1928, Page 11

SUNDAY MEDICINE

DISPENSARY HOUES FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' REQUEST GRANTED An application made recently by the Wellington. United:. Friendly Societies' Dispensary for-exemption -from tJio Sunday closing hours fixed-for chemists was the subject of a reserved judgment delivered byMr..E. Page,.S.M., in Iho Magistrate's Court.. to-day. The dispensary asked for exemption so as to enable it to open on Sundays from 0 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. to supply only members and their families with medicines or surgical ai>plianees on an order from a doctor. On 3rd Juno last a "Gazette" notice, pursuant to a requisition under last year's statute, came into force whereby Wellington chemists, with certain exceptions, were compelled to "close on Sundays. The main exception was a pharmacy in Cambridge terrace, known as the "Urgent Dispensary," which, for the sale of medicines and surgical appliances urgently .required, is entirely exempted from all Sunday closing hours. The "Urgent Dispensary" belongs to the chemists of Wellington, all of whom have been afforded an equal opportunity to share in its profits. The application was opposed by the associated chemists, and it was stated at the hearing that as there, are somo 28 or 29 similar Friendly Societies' dispensaries in New Zealand, the applic ition was looked on as in the. nature of a tost case. It was estimated, said Mr. Page, that the Wellington Friendly Societies' Dispensary served some 20,000 people. Since its foundation twenty-eight years ago, it had kept open for an hour on Sunday mornings, and for an hour and a half on Sunday evenings,- and it was desired that that privilege should be retained. During the hours on Sundays ' when ■ it - was shut members of friendly societies could get their prescriptions (if marked urgent) made up at the "Urgent Pharmacy" without further payment by the individual member, but the "Urgent Pharmacy debited the cost of the prescription to the friendly societies, who paid the amounts out of their funds. It was not suggested by the objectors to the application that the amount of medicines or surgical appliances likely to be sold by the applicants during the short period in which it was desired to remain open would materially affect the business of the "Urgent Dispensary," but the objectors appeared to fear there was a risk that the, shop might be opened for indiscriminate sales. The Act allowed a Magistrate to grant exemption either if.it was in the public interest, or if it would not substantially affect the business of any other shop. He thought that on each of those grounds the applicants had made out their case, and he proposed to grant the exemption applied for. "The applicants," concluded Mr. Page, "must see that thoir Sunday operations are limited to thoso mentioned at the hearing, namely, the sale to members and their families only of medicines and surgical appliances given on an order from a doctor." At the hearing of the case Mr. E. Kennedy appeared for the applicants and Mr. H. F. O'Leary for Associated Chemists, Ltd."