100 MAINE AGRICULTURAL LXPLRIMENT STATION. .I912. 



THE PUBLIC AND THE PHARMACIST. 



The j)harmacist differs from other business men in that he 

 is engaged in a profession and that there is an educational 

 requirement before he can be registered to compound medi- 

 cines under the laws of the State. In many instances these 

 men bring high ideals to their business. Unfortunately- there 

 are many more druggists in the State than are needed to sup- 

 ply the demand for medicines and still more unfortunately 

 many men are engaged in selling medicines in closed packages 

 who are not in the drug business. Also many physicians dis- 

 pense medicines and thus fill their own prescriptions. This has 

 brought it about that most, if not all, of the druggists in the 

 State have found it necessary, in order to earn a living, to add 

 other lines than drugs to their business. 



To the writer something like the following seem to be the 

 duty of the physician, the pharmacist and the public. 



Only so far as the exigencies of the situation demand should 

 the physician dispense medicines. He should write prescrip- 

 tions and these should be filled by registered pharmacists. The 

 pharmacist should not prescribe even in the case of simple dis- 

 orders. Each profession should respect the other. In all 

 things that he handles, sundries as well as medicines, the 

 druggist should handle only the best. His ideal should be 

 quality and not lowness of price. When a person purchases at 

 the drug store he should have the right to feel certain that 

 whatever he buys is of the highest quality. The public should 

 purchase their medicines, even proprietory medicines, of the 

 regular registered pharmacist. The best pharmacists will not 

 sell remedies that do not have medical endorsement. When 

 one has drugs or medicines to purchase quality is the essential. 

 Price is comparatively non-essential. Some remedies deterio- 

 rate with age, and an old, weakened drug may be useless. 

 Others actually change in composition so that a comparatively 

 inert remedy may develop into a powerful poison. The phar- 

 macist knows about drugs ; the department or general store 

 manager does not. 



Registered pharmacists, physicians and clergymen, are essen- 

 tial to the well being of a community. It is a citizen's duty to 

 the public of which he is a part, to assist in retaining these 

 professional men against the time of need. The purchase of 

 medicines from other than druggists is a civic blunder. 



