Abstract

One aim of the 1968 Medicines Act was to provide a coherent and comprehensive system for determining what drugs require a prescription. The Medicines Commission has now published its proposals.¹ In general restriction to prescription only is recommended for drugs of known or potential toxicity, and drugs that produce dependence or could be a hazard to the community. Two types of exemption from the restriction are proposed. One would allow pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines in an emergency when a doctor undertakes to provide the prescription within the next 72 hours. The other would allow a person in urgent need of a prescription-only medicine previously prescribed for him by a doctor to obtain up to 3 days’ emergency supply directly from the pharmacist. It seems that such a supply would be available only to the person himself, not for example to a parent wanting it for a child.