INFERIOR MEDICINES.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19430, 3 December 1934, Page 9

INFERIOR MEDICINES.

4000 SAMPLES BELOW PAR. Analysis of 4000 samples of “Panel” medicine recently undertaken by the British Ministry Of Health officials reveals that 5 per cent were far below standard.

As 62,000,000 bottles of medic’ne were prescribed by health insurance doctors during the year under review, the figures quoted mean that, if the proportion were- maintained, 3,000,000 bottles contained too much water and too little medicine. This startling state of affairs is disclosed in the annual report on the health insurance scheme just submitted to the Minister

of Health. The-fact that 95 per cent of the prescriptions were up to standard, it is remarked, shows a high degree of conscientious service on the part of the compounders and throws iho black sheep Into greater relief. Another result of the tests was that the average cost of The drugs in the boli ties examined was less than fourpence for each prescription. On the other hand, a number of doctors have .been warned that they will be seriously dealt with if they prescribe more expensive medicine than the condition of their patients demands. | Other facts revealed in the report | are: More than half a million patieuls were suspected of malingering and ordered before special medical boards for special examination. I Over one-half of these were so j conscious of the real state of their j health that they Immediately went i back to work, while another 80,000 ' were ordered for duty by tho boards, i Some 1500 employers were prose--1 cuted for not paying their share of contributions, and a number were caught using stamps twice over.