20Prescribing and supplying narcotic substances

20 Prescribing and supplying narcotic substances

(1)  A person, other than a medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner, must not write or issue a prescription for a narcotic substance.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(2)  A medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, authorised health professional or dentist, subject to this regulation, is authorised to write or issue a prescription for a narcotic substance.

(3)  An authorised nurse practitioner may write or issue a prescription for a narcotic substance in such circumstances, subject to such conditions and in relation to such substances or classes of substances as may be specified in an authorisation issued by the Secretary.

(4)  A person must not write or issue a prescription for the purpose of procuring a narcotic substance for administration to himself or herself.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(5)  A person must not write or issue a prescription for a narcotic substance unless the prescription includes (otherwise than in handwriting) the name of the person writing or issuing the prescription and the address of the person's place of residence or of the place at which the person carries on practice.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(6)  Subregulation (5) does not apply in the case of an emergency when the means of complying with that subregulation are not readily available to the person writing or issuing the prescription.

(7)  Subject to regulation 21 , where a medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner writes or issues a prescription for a narcotic substance, he or she must comply with the following conditions:

(a) he or she is to include in the prescription –

(i) the date on which it is written or issued; and

(ii) the name, including initials, date of birth and address, of the patient or, in the case of an animal, the name, date of birth and address of the owner; and

(iii) hand-written legibly in ink, the name of the narcotic substance, the dosage and quantity to be dispensed; and