View report page

78
THE PHARMACY AND POISONS ACT, 1933,
THE POISONS RULES, 1935.
This Act, together with the Rules made under it, came into full effect on 1st May, 1936,
and by it all the existing legislation relating to the sale etc., Of poisons was repealed.
The law relating to the sale, supply, storage and transport of poisons has been considerably
revised and the Act establishes a Poisons Board with the duty of preparing a list of the substances
to which the Act is to apply. This list known as the Poisons List, was confirmed by the Home
Office on 21st December, 1935, and consists of two parts. In Part I are those substances, the sale
of which is restricted to the premises of "authorised sellers of poisons," i.e. chemists and
pharmacists, and in Part II are those poisons in common use which may be sold from premises of
"authorised sellers" and also "listed sellers of poisons," i.e. shop-keepers other than chemists,
provided the name of the person and the address of the premises are entered in a list kept by
the local authority of the area in which the poisons are sold.
The principal changes in the law are: —
1. The sale of certain poisonous preparations used in agriculture and horticulture (not
arsenical weed killers) is now permitted to any trader who is registered with the local authority.
'2. Traders so registered are now permitted to sell carbolic disinfectant containing up to
60% of phenols. Formerly the sale of liquids containing more than 3% of phenols was restricted
to chemists' shops.
3. The sale of ammonia of over 5% strength, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, potassium quadroxalate
(salts of lemon), hydrochloric acid (spirits of salts) and of disinfectants containing less
than 3% of phenols which has hitherto been unrestricted except for requirements in regard to
labelling arid form of bottle, is now restricted to authorised sellers and listed sellers of poisons only.
4. The sale of potasium hydroxide (caustic potash) and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)
it, controlled for the first time and may only be sold by authorised and listed sellers of poisons.
5. The only poisons which listed sellers are permitted to retail from " bulk " (i.e. repack)
are ammonia, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, potassium quadroxalate and sulphuric acid. All
other Part II Poisons may be sold by listed sellers only in closed containers as closed by the
manufacturer or wholesaler from whom they have been obtained.
0. The sale of Part II poisons must be effected on the premises specified in the local
authority's list and the previous practice of hawking carbolic disinfectants from barrows, becomes,
therefore, illegal. No poison may be sold from an automatic machine.
It is the duty of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to secure compliance
by authorised sellers of poisons with the provisions of the Act and Rules and local authorities
control listed sellers of poisons and other persons not being authorised sellers of poisons.