DANGEROUS DRUGS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 9 January 1929, Page 2

DANGEROUS DRUGS

NEW REGULATIONS HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S CIRCULAR The Dangerous Drugs Act, 1927, was passed as a measure necessary; to comply with New Zealand’s obligations under the Geneva • Convention of the LeuguCfoE Nations, and the regulations under the Act, recently issued, constitute the necessary machinery to carry out the provisions of the Act, and follow closely the British and Australian regulations. Every endeavour has been made to keep requirements down to the minimum Consistent 'With the obligatory vigilance imposed by the Act. The Health Department has. now issued an explanatory circular, dealing with the new ‘.regulations, ' a copy of which can be obtained by those interested. "" ' “ ‘A

. The drugs to which the Dangerous Drugs Act applies ar'6 • briefly ’ as follow a'Raw opium, prepared opium, medicinal' opium, morphine (percentage calculated as in respect' of nrthydrops morphine) ancD its l -'Salts, diacetylfnOrphine (commonly 'known as diamarphine or heroin)'and its salts, any preparation containing diace.tylmo’iphine,-■■coca-leaf, crude, cocaine, cocaine '(including synthetic cocaine) and its salts, ecgorifno (means laev'o-ecganine, and includes any derivatives of ecgoiiine fnjim which' it mtiy ' be salts, Induin’ hemp • (any resin, preparation, extract, ■■or’ tincture 'of .Indian hemp). >"■- ■*': < >w .*•'• '■■ v Any preparation containing not more tlian Q-2 per cent, qf- morphine nor more than Q.-l per cent, off cocaine' or ecg'onine ‘fall's ojajtside tJi.e 'Act.' There are certain exemptions which are quoted in detail in the’, RULES AS TO PRESCRIPTIONS ■, ,i;w . yefi) >;«■•»'*■

All prescriptions without exception niu'st be ; 'in : writing and' signed’ personally by' -the- practitioner, ewßh .fame Ana address of the person for whose-use ; the prescription is given. Where ah. unusual 1 amrifint; or owhat miglit be regarded as a ■ dangerous dose tir a dangerous drug is prescribed, the - dose has to’he' ftuderlined- The“ prescription is to be retained'hy the per,son dispensing ft", 'a point which is of. "general, nitercat, as mßiiy people have taken old prescriptions trrtlie chemist' '-'toy have them made up in the hope that they may relieVe! or efire a ’Vefurh' 1 of some indisposition. They will now'have to secure a fresh prescription from ‘tlie medical man unless provision is made for further supplies: 1 -’'"'•'■•'■’• • There are a number of special conditions which include the following: A medical’ ‘practitioner fin emergency may, orally or by telephone, direct a Registered chemist to wliorii lie is known personally to dispense for a person a dangerous drug, but shall forthwith reduce such prescription to writing and ti'ansiiiit '■ i't to - the .-'chemist;" may only prescribe in any case for the purposes gf niedical treatment; must• understand tliat'Tiis prescription shall be disposed only once, liriless, if lie so directs on the prescription, it may he dispensed on ndt 'more than thrAfe 1 aft; intervals To'he' specified 'oil the'prescnption ; no person other than A m'ediciu''pi'acCitiorlhf'-' Asan give drat "prescription or -'ii “-repeat-- presei'iptio'n;opi;escrih'ers Should mstrlict thfifirecipieiit 'Of-’la prescription 1 r: that it" cdnnpt'-l be ■repeated without written authority (hr, In tine case 'of authorised- repeats, t)ie number offhrepeals—not' more than two).

OBLIGATIONS ON CHEMJSJS

There are certain obligations imposed uponthe’'chefifistj'- uniform w‘ith those imposed and others. - He must retain''and I 'hold a"-prescription for one year l ; he' : must not deliver a dan-gerous-drug ■' dispensed pursuant to' a pfesoript-ioiV-other* than by personal delivery, or delivery through the post, m delivery.‘through a common carrier, direct to the patient, for-whose use the. prescription .is, or delivery to some other person who has authority from tlie patient- to ’accept delivery. Provision is also made for dealing with drugs that are diluted, even though to an extent which places them outside the operation of the Act, : and'also tll’e records to he kept by those dispensing,' prescribing, or .manufacturing dangerous -drugs, hospital's, -‘‘Uhd similar-institutions being required -to conform to- these leqtlnerh’entsiib . ir*> nw ' ‘ ’ "j in regard /to dilutions, those such as morphine (2 per cccmne (1 per .cent.)-’ate but in the case el ‘heroin and eegonine, there is no exemption at all. In America, heroin cannot be obtained at all, ' Unless through '.'traffic,” as it is considered that the effects' obtained by 'it can' be equally well obtained % 1 morphine or cocaine. Opium, arid its derivatives have, lor a long timfc in New Zealand, been prohibited drugs, and have been controlled solely by tlie Gustoffis, and a strict account lias'to be.' kept, not only of the amount”'imported,'' but its disposition. This did no,t- formerly apply to cocaine, and what' ' is' "famiM ' “ “snow” -hut both of these will now come under the regulations. Iheie is provision in the Act'whereby any other drugs “found to be habit-forming may be included by Order-in-Council.