(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

(iv) subject to subregulation (10) , the number of times that the dispensing of the prescription may be repeated and the interval between each dispensing of the prescription; and

(v) adequate directions for use –

and sign the prescription with his or her usual signature;

(b) he or she is not to include in that prescription more than one preparation which is or includes a narcotic substance;

(c) he or she is not to include in that prescription a preparation other than the preparation which is or includes the narcotic substance;

(d) if a medical practitioner, he or she is not to write or issue a prescription for the supply of a narcotic substance for any purpose other than in the course of medical treatment;

(e) if a veterinary surgeon, he or she is not to write or issue a prescription for the supply of a narcotic substance for any purpose other than in the course of animal treatment and is to include in a prescription which he or she issues the words "For animal treatment only" ;

(f) if a dentist, he or she is not to write or issue a prescription for the supply of a narcotic substance for any purpose other than in the course of dental treatment and is to include in a prescription which he or she issues the words "For dental treatment only" ;

(g) if an authorised nurse practitioner, he or she is not to write or issue a prescription for the supply of a narcotic substance for any purpose other than in the course of nurse practitioner treatment;

(h) if an authorised health professional, he or she is not to write or issue a prescription for the supply of a narcotic substance for any purpose other than in the lawful practice of his or her profession;

(i) where the prescription contains an unusual dose, the medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner by whom it is written or issued is to underline, or by some other means emphasise, that part of the prescription and, except for a prescription issued in accordance with an approval under regulation 21 , sign or initial that part in the margin.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(8)  A prescription is to be taken, for the purposes of these regulations, to have been issued in accordance with subregulation (7) if –

(a) the patient is an admitted patient of a medical institution; and

(b) the prescription is issued on a medication chart and the following fields have been completed by a medical practitioner, endorsed midwife, authorised nurse practitioner or authorised health professional:

(i) the name, form and strength of the narcotice substance;

(ii) the date of prescribing;

(iii) the frequency of administration;

(iv) the route of administration; and

(c) the prescription does not include more than one preparation which is or includes a narcotic substance.

(9)  Notwithstanding subregulation (7)(a)(ii) , a medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner may use a printed label in a prescription to identify the patient or owner of the animal, if that label is initialled by the medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, dentist, authorised health professional or authorised nurse practitioner.

(10)  A dentist must not write or issue a prescription for a narcotic substance that may be dispensed on more than one occasion.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(11)  A person must not write or issue a prescription for a narcotic substance which, or any part of which, is in a code or cipher.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(12)  Subject to subregulation (13) , a veterinary surgeon must not prescribe or supply any of the narcotic substances specified in regulation 24 otherwise than in accordance with an authorisation under subregulation (14) .

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(13)  A veterinary surgeon may administer fentanyl, ketamine or methadone to an animal in the course of animal treatment.

(14)  The Secretary may, either generally or in a particular case, authorise a veterinary surgeon to prescribe or supply methylphenidate for veterinary purposes.

(15)  An authorisation under subregulation (14)  –

(a) is to be in writing signed by the Secretary; and

(b) in the case of a general authorisation, is to require that, within 24 hours of each occasion on which the veterinary surgeon prescribes or supplies methylphenidate, the veterinary surgeon send to the Secretary notice in writing specifying –

(i) the name and address of the owner of the animal for the treatment of which the prescription was given or the methylphenidate was supplied; and

(ii) the amount of methylphenidate prescribed or supplied; and

(iii) the date of the prescription or supply; and

(c) may specify such other conditions to which it is subject as the Secretary thinks fit; and

(d) may, at any time, be revoked or amended by the Secretary by notice in writing given to the veterinary surgeon.

(16)  A dentist must not prescribe for, or supply to, a person any of the narcotic substances specified in regulation 24 .

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.