FREE MEDICINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24103, 23 October 1941, Page 8

FREE MEDICINE

CHEMISTS' DIFFICULTY RUSH AT BUSY PERIODS [BT TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The difficulty experienced by chemists in dispensing prescriptions left with them at rush periods of the day was mentioned by the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, in an interview this evening. He asked for the assistance of the public by leaving prescriptions with their chemists as early as possible.

"Because of tho additional work created in some cases from the introduction of pharmaceutical supplies benefits under the Social Security Act, a good number of qualified chemists and pharmacy assistants having enlisted for active service, the task of coping with dispensing work at rush hours has become a real difficulty," said the Minister. "It is customary to dispense prescriptions in the order received over the counter, but it may be necessary for a chemist to exercise some discretion as to which prescriptions in his opinion call for prior attention." Mr. Nordmeyer said the public could assist by leaving their prescriptions as early as possible, and particularly where it was a case of repeating a prescription. If people would ring their chemists and notify him of their intention to call, say, on the following day, for non-urgent prescriptions, it would give the chemist an opportunity to spread his work over tho slack period.