THE  AMEEICAIST 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
During  the  past  winter,  two  of  the  legislatures  in  session  have 
passed  educational  prerequisite  amendments  to  their  pharmacy  laws. 
As  usual,  these  laws  were  enacted  through  the  efforts  of  the  state 
pharmaceutical  associations.  The  pharmacists  of  Virginia  and  of 
New  Jersey  are  to  be  congratulated  upon  this  achievement  in  behalf 
of  the  professional  elevation  of  pharmacy. 
New  Jersey  lays  claim  to  having  been  the  first  state  in  which  the 
druggists  formed  a  permanent  state  organization  for  the  betterment 
of  the  conditions  in  their  calling.  As  early  as  1895,  through  the 
efforts  of  this  state  association  a  pharmacy  law  was  enacted  provid- 
ing for  the  appointment  of  a  Board  of  Pharmacy  to  examine  and 
license  pharmacists  and  assistant  pharmacists.  This  was  further 
improved  by  an  amendment  passed  in  1901. 
In  1905,  a  movement  was  started  to  have  New  Jersey  follow  the 
example  of  her  neighboring  states  in  requiring  that  registered 
pharmacists  must  be  graduates  of  reputable  schools  of  pharmacy. 
The  pharmacists  of  the  state  had  first  to  be  educated  to  this  step, 
so  necessary  for  professional  advancement,  and  so  it  was  not  until 
191 1  that  the  New  Jersey  Pharmaceutical  Association  approved  a 
draft  of  a  bill  for  an  amendment  to  the  pharmacy  act  of  1901  the 
most  important  provision  of  which  was  a  section  requiring  prerequi- 
site education  and  graduation  from  a  school  of  pharmacy  for  the 
licensed  pharmacists. 
Since  1912,  the  legislature  of  New  Jersey  has  been  continuously 
appealed  to  for  such  an  amendment  to  the  pharmacy  practice  act. 
The  Assembly  readily  responded  and  on  several  occasions  passed  the 
pharmacists'  bill,  but  the  Senate  was  obdurate  and  adverse  interests 
EDITORIAL. 
APRIL,  i9i8  fiJK^%%^%J) 
The  Progress  of  Prerequisite  Legislation. 
