64 
MAJORITY REPORT. 
650. Tt was suggested to us in evidence given on behalf of the 
Society of Apothecaries of London (App. LXXXVI; Q. 21,218- 
21,236) that the section referred to should be amended so as to 
provide that those persons who hold a certificate of the Society 
as dispenser, and who have, in addition, had three years’ 
practical experience, should be recognised as ‘‘ qualified to 
exercise any function required of a dispenser in institutions, 
hospitals, dispensaries and Poor Law infirmaries, and to contract 
with Insurance Committees for the payment for medicines sup- 
plied to panel patients in those institutions.”” The Society con- 
tend that their training and examination secure an adequate test 
of ability to dispense accurately and successfully. The Pharma- 
ceutical Society of Great Britain, on the other hand, state 
(App. CXXVI) that in their view ‘‘any reduction in the 
standard of qualification required of persons undertaking dis- 
pensing for insured persons would be a retrograde step,” and 
refer to the fact that a similar claim made by the Society of 
Apothecaries in 1913 was exhaustively considered by a Depart- 
mental Committee and was rejected. 
651. We examined the official witnesses on the subject 
(Q. 24,005-24,007), and quote from a reply given by Mr. 
Brock :— 
““ We have to distinguish between the right to dispense 
in the literal sense of the term and the right to enter into 
arrangements with Insurance Committees for the supply of 
drugs to insured persons. In our view it would not be desir- 
able to relax the present statutory requirement prohibiting 
arrangements for dispensing medicines being made with 
persons other than qualified pharmacists, even though such 
medicines are not supplied in open shop. The period of 
training required for the certificate of the Society of Apothe- 
caries has been raised from six to nine months, but the 
standard of technical training is still not high, and it would 
be a retrograde step to amend the Act so as to allow persons 
holding this qualification only to contract for the supply of 
medicines.” 
652. We have given careful consideration to this question and 
have come to the conclusion that it is not desirable in the interests 
of insured persons to lower the standard of qualification required 
for persons who may be allowed to dispense medicines provided 
under the Insurance Scheme. The evidence given before us has 
left no doubt in our minds that the qualification of the holders 
of the Apothecaries’ Assistants’ Certificates is inferior to that of 
a registered pharmacist, and we accordingly recommend that no 
alteration should be made in the present requirement. 
ARREARS OF CONTRIBUTIONS. 
653. The present position governing the effect of arrears of 
contributions is set out at length in paragraphs 103-110 of