NURSES AND DRUGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20604, 1 July 1930, Page 12

NURSES AND DRUGS.

RECENT PROSECUTION.

STATEMENT IN THE COURT.

NO GENERAL REFLECTION.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.]

GISBOBNE, Monday.

Protests have been aroused by the remarks attributed to the police officer who conducted the prosecution in the Gisborno Police Court last week of a nurse who was charged with having a dangerous drug in her possession. The original report was interpreted as meaning that the taking of drugs was general among nurses.

Senior-Sergeant Wado states that his observations on the case did not justify this interpretation. What he had said was as follows: —

"I am told that practically every nnrso in New Zealand carries a supply of this drug in her professional capacity, although it is an offence to do so, and no exemptions aro made- Of course, they are not addicted to it. If tho effects of the majority of nurses, particularly those attending outside case 3, were searched, I have no doubt that bigger supplies of tho drug would bo found than tho dofendant had in her possession. Tho drug can only be supplied under a doctor's proscription. The Legislature evidently regards this as a serious offence, for the maximum penalty in defendant's case is £100." What he had meant by this statement was that nurses, especially those engaged in work in the back-blocks districts and outside cases, carried tho drug in their professional capacity to relievo patients in cases where a doctor was not near at hand. He made no remarks that could be construed as reflecting that the nurses of New ?/caland as a whole were drug addicts. CONTROL OF SUPPLIES. RIGID CHECK MAINTAINED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Monday. Inquiries were made of Health Department officials to-day to ascertain whether it is possible for nurses and others to obtain unlimited supplies of habit-form-ing drugs. It was stated that it was clearly impossible for all and sundry to obtain any such dangerous drugs openly. Every wholesale house must obtain from the Customs Department a licence to import. The quantities procured by a wholesale house must be accounted for under the terms of another licence, obtained from the Health Department. No such licenseo can havo nny dealings with anyone else who is not also a licensee. Doctors, dentists, chemists and veterinary surgeons are licensed, but no nurses aro licensed, and neither are private hospitals. The doctor in charge must take responsibility for any such drugs required in a private hospital. The Health Department keeps a detailed statement of tho buying of every chemist, doctor and other licenseo from the wholesale houses, and every such licenseo is in turn required to keep a detailed account of how he has disposed of his supplies. The chemist must produce proper prescriptions to cover all his transactions. By a check system of the Health Department, tho medical officer of health in each district is in a position to know who is getting dangerous drugs, and can at once put his finger on the buyer who appears to bo doing an abnormal business, whether he buys from one wholesaler or from six, and no matter where he lives, whether he buys in Dunedin or Auckland, or in both cities and ethers as well.

If any wholesaler or any chemist supplies dangerous drups to any nurse he is at onr.o in a difficulty to account for his stock, unles3 tho nurse produced a prescription. No prescription can be repeated moro than twice, and even then tho doctor giving it must so direct. Consequently, anyone requiring regular supplies of a dangerous drug is compelled to return again and again to his doctor for a new prescription.