CHEMISTS' TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23203, 29 May 1937, Page 4

CHEMISTS' TRADE

REORGANISATION PROCEEDING MAJOR DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME REPLY TO AUCKLAND CRITICISM A denial that chemists in New Zealand were experiencing difficulty in reorganising their businesses was given yesterday by a local member of the profession. His statement was made in reply to a message from Auckland, published yesterday morning, which/stated that the proposed bulk buying of chemists' drugs was not in the.best interests of the " There are no insurmountable difficulties of: reorganisation facing the chemists," the informant stated. " In fact the majority of the difficulties have already been met and overcome, With the result that chemists have been able to reduce the cost of prescriptions by about 20 per cent. It might be added that chemists are the only business men who have so reduced prices recently."

The real difficulties arose among the wholesalers themselves, 'he continued, for although all the regular wholesalers at first agreed with the outlines of the merger scheme with a view to "putting their own house in order," and so reducing the cost of administration which would help the chemists' to pass, on the saving to the public, a section withdrew from the scheme at the last moment, but the majority were continuing with the merger.

The bulk buying of chemists' drugs referred to in the Auckland, message had been arranged for as an alternative in the event of the merger not being brought to finality .in such a manner as to enable it to work satisfactorily with the chemists' reorganisation scheme. Moreover, combined buying was, not a new idea, many chemists having adopted that procedure for some time. The wholesalers, he said, need not concern themselves unduly about the price of rare,and, slow-moving lines, for the chemists could and did import those at the present time, and carried many on their shelves. In addition, arrangements were provided whereby this phase of their businesses would be attended to with a probable decrease in cost. \ '.'.•'■

If the wholesalers could not; meet the new conditions, it was. because they refused to bring themselves up-to-date, and in any case the chemists were determined not to be in'their'effort's to provide aCbettef service for the public at, .where possible, lower cost. If the present wholesalers' organisation could not see its way to assist, then other means would be found.