Western Australian Consolidated Regulations

POISONS REGULATIONS 1965 - REG 51

51 .         Prescriptions for drugs of addiction, rules for

        (1)         A prescription for the supply of a drug of addiction shall comply with the following conditions —

            (a)         it shall include —

                  (i)         the name and address of the prescriber; and

                  (ii)         the name, address and date of birth of the patient or, in the case of a prescription for veterinary use, the name and address of the person having the care of the animal for which the prescription is intended; and

                  (iii)         the description and quantity of the drug to be dispensed; and

                  (iv)         precise directions for the use of the drug, including the dose to be taken or administered and the frequency with which the dose is to be taken or administered; and

                  (v)         the date when it was written; and

                  (vi)         if the drug is to be dispensed more than once under the prescription — the maximum number of times it may be repeated and the intervals at which it may be dispensed;

            (b)         it shall not prescribe more than one drug of addiction, or any other substance, but may prescribe the same drug in more than one form;

            (c)         if issued by a dentist — it shall include the words “for dental treatment only” and if issued by a veterinary surgeon — it shall include the words “for animal treatment only”;

            (d)         if it prescribes an unusual dose it shall indicate that such a dose was intended by —

                  (i)         in the case of a prescription that is not issued electronically — that part of the prescription being underlined and initialled by the prescriber in the margin; and

                  (ii)         in the case of a prescription that is issued electronically — the means provided by the approved electronic prescribing system;

            (e)         it shall be issued in a manner provided for in subregulation (1A) or (1B).

        (1A)         A prescription that is issued electronically shall be issued via an approved electronic prescribing system.

        (1B)         A prescription that is not issued electronically shall be either —

            (a)         written in ink in the prescriber’s own handwriting; or

            (b)         processed on an approved computer program and have the information referred to in subregulation (1)(a)(iii), (iv) and (vi) written in ink in the prescriber’s own handwriting.

                The prescription shall be signed by the prescriber in his or her own handwriting.

        (1C)         In subregulation (1B) —

        approved computer program means a computer program that —

            (a)         complies with the criteria specified in Appendix L; or

            (b)         is recommended by the Poisons Advisory Committee and approved in writing by the CEO.

        (2)         With the written approval of the CEO a person authorised to prescribe drugs of addiction may issue a typewritten prescription where the CEO is satisfied that by reason of physical infirmity the prescriber is unable to write legibly in his or her own handwriting but in that case the prescriber shall sign the prescription with his or her usual signature.

        [Regulation 51 inserted in Gazette 23 Sep 1983 p. 3804; amended in Gazette 29 Jun 1984 p. 1784; 31 Jan 1986 p. 332; 26 Jul 1991 p. 3855; 25 Jun 1993 p. 3080 and 3085; 26 May 1994 p. 2201; 19 Mar 1996 p. 1230; 15 Nov 2005 p. 5603‑4; 15 Dec 2006 p. 5630; 7 Nov 2008 p. 4812‑13; 5 Mar 2010 p. 846.]