15Inquiries, &c., before supplying narcotic substance to patient

15 Inquiries, &c., before supplying narcotic substance to patient

(1)  A medical practitioner, dentist, authorised nurse practitioner, authorised health professional or authorised nurse must not supply, or write or issue a prescription for the supply of, a narcotic substance to a person unless the medical practitioner, dentist, authorised nurse practitioner, authorised health professional or authorised nurse has taken such steps as are reasonably open to him or her to ascertain –

(a) the nature and amount of any narcotic substances supplied to that person within the previous 2 months; and

(b) the circumstances in which those narcotic substances were so supplied.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(2)  A person who obtains from, or as a result of a prescription written or issued by, a medical practitioner, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner a narcotic substance by failing, before or at the material time, to notify the medical practitioner, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner of the name and the place of practice of a medical practitioner, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner by whom, within a period of 2 months before the material time, a narcotic substance was supplied to the person, or a prescription for a narcotic substance was written or issued in respect of the person, is guilty of an offence.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(3)  [Regulation 15 Subregulation (3) amended by No. 23 of 2022, s. 49, Applied:24 Oct 2022] Subregulations (1) and (2) do not apply to the supply of a narcotic substance to a medical practitioner, dentist, authorised nurse practitioner, authorised health professional, licensed wholesale chemist, licensed manufacturing chemist or pharmacist, otherwise than for the purpose of its administration to the person to whom it is supplied.

(4)  In this regulation –

material time, when used in relation to the obtaining of –

(a) a narcotic substance from a medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, dentist, authorised nurse practitioner, authorised health professional or authorised nurse, means the time at which that substance was obtained; or