Free Medicine Benefits

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 109, 9 May 1941, Page 6

Free Medicine Benefits

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 8. The response by chemists to the scheme of the Social Security pharmaceutical benefits since they were first made available on Afay 5 was outlined by the Minister of Health in an interview' to-night. He said it appeared from the preliminary returns that the vast majority of chemists in the Dominion were operating the benefits and were prepared to accept contracts under the scheme. Inquiries had been made by some chemists about certain features of the contracts and it was anticipated that practically the whole of the chemists w’ould accept within the next week. Air. Nordmeyer said in the early weeks of a scheme of this magnitude anomalies might manifest themselves. In this connection he was particularly anxious w'here chemists found difficulties and were prepared to make suggestions that they should write to the DirectorGeneral of Health or himself. If they did this their representations would receive consideration at an early meeting of representatives of the chemists and officers of the Health Department. Replying to an inquiry whether the Government intended to exclude all proprietaries permanently, the Alinister stated that investigations were already being made into certain proprietaries and w’here these had no British pharmacopoeia equivalent it W’as likely they would be added to the free list later. The public, however, should know that some proprietaries were simply expensive forms of a simple combination of drugs which a doctor may prescribe and the patient secure free.