In discussing the form of a model pharmacy law, it would seem desirable to consider the advisability of continuing the registration of two classes of pharmacists on the present basis of degree in technical competency which is of no practical value or changing to one based on quality of competency, which distinction might conceivably be of some service. The question of whether there should be two classes or only one is one which, while it has been raised, will not be discussed in this paper on

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... count of the almost universal consensus of opinion in favor of the former. It will be conceded that under our system of government the aim and purpose of all legislation regulating the practice of pharmacy must be the good of the public health and its safety. Legislation based on any other principle or with any other motive will fail even if by chance it should be enacted. The fortunate corollary exists that the more nearly and the more efficiently legislation operates along lines of public benefit the more profitable will be the business for those engaged in it. One of the provisions common to and typical of most pharmacy laws is that there shall be two classes of pharmacists based on degree in technical competency. Another is that to become registered in either class a certain amount of experience in a store is necessary. The first qualification, therefore, that confronts the prospective candidate for registration is that of store experience. But there is no standard for such experience nor do boards inquire into, investigate, o r stand sponsor for it. No amount of education nor preparation c.an be substituted for this so-called experience. A candidate may have an academic degree and have specialized for years in pharmaceutical or chemical research, but should he desire to appear before a board he must suspend pharmaceutical practice in order to perfect himself in the arts of a porter or messenger boy for two years or more. During this period he is protected by law by being prohibited from assuming any duties or tasks the doing of which might be of any value to him so far as his future pharmaceutical activities are concerned. This " protection " is made the more efficient by regulations governing the conduct of pharmacies, among which the obligation of keeping each store in constant charge of registered help necessitates the employing of more than enough of such help to do all the pharmaceutical work presented. This means, that unless the employer is altruistic to an unusual degree and has more interest in the rising generation of pharmacists in general or his clerk in particular than for his own trade, his profits or his ease, and will" therefore, devote his time to training his apprentice ; or unless. the apprentice will use some of his time in surreptitiously doing things he is not paid to do instead of sweeping floors o r dusting the soda fountain, for which he is paid, his experience will be of little value pharmaceutically. Having completed his experience he is allowed to appear before the board for examination. The result of this examination may be one of three ; he may receive full registration, he may receive a second grade certificate or he may fail entirely. In the first event he has simply demonstrated to the board, so far as a n examination can show it, his technical competency, nothing more. If he pass the first * Read before Section on Education and Legislation, A. Ph. A. second session, Atlantic City meeting, 1916. -. -