Royal College of Physicians Act, 1761

No apothecary, &c. shall sell one medicine instead of another, without informing buyer, and the reason, if demanded,

nor substitute one ingredient for another, nor omit any ingredient in any composition or extemporaneous prescription, without leave of the college, or prescriber, or signifying it on the label, and the reason,

penalty 40s. before chief magistrate, or next justices, or judge of assize, where no civil magistrate.

>XVIII. And whereas many fraudulent and unskilful apothecaries, chemists, or druggists, daily presume to sell one drug or medicine for another, as well as to omit sundry ingredients in shop-compositions and extemporaneous prescriptions, or to substitute one drug or medicine for another, to the great detriment of the buyers or patient, as well as the prescriber: for remedy whereof be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no apothecary, chemist, druggist, or other person or persons whatsoever, who now do, or hereafter shall prepare or compound, sell, or expose to sale, or keep for that purpose, any simple or compound medicine, chemical or other medicinal preparation whatsoever, shall from and after the commencement of this act sell any drug or medicine in the place or stead of another without informing the buyer thereof of the change, and the reason or necessity for so doing, giving the same in writing, if demanded. And that no apothecary, chemist, druggist, or other person or persons, who now do or hereafter shall prepare, dispense, or compound, sell, expose to sale, or keep for that purpose, any drug or medicine whatsoever, shall presume to substitute any one ingredient for another, or to omit or leave out any one ingredient in any officinal or other composition, or extemporaneous prescription, without the approbation or leave of the college of physicians in Dublin, or of the immediate prescribers of such composition or extemporaneous prescription in Dublin, or elsewhere, or without signifying on the cover or label of such medicine the omission or substitute, and the reason or necessity for making the same, under the penalty of forty shillings sterling for every such imposition, omission, or substitute, proved by the confession of the party, or by the oath of one or more credible witness or witnesses before the chief magistrate of the town, where such offence shall be committed, or before the next justices of the peace, or going judge of assize, where no other civil magistrate shall happen to be resident.