CHAPTER 225

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 54-496, 54-497 and 54-498 of the Code
of Virginia, relating to sales by apothecaries, and professional use by
physicians, dentists and veterinarians of narcotic drugs. [8 108]

Approved March 5, 1956

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: .

1. That §§ 54-496, 54-497 and 54-498 of the Code of Virginia be amended
and reenacted as follows: _ .

§ 54-496. (1) An apothecary, in good faith, may sell and dispense
narcotic drugs to any person upon a written prescription of a physician,
dentist, or veterinarian, provided it is properly executed, dated and signed
by the person prescribing on the day when issued and bearing the full
name and address of the patient for whom, or of the owner of the animal
for which, the drug is dispensed, and the full name, address, and registry
number under the federal narcotic laws of the person prescribing, if he is
required by those laws to be so registered. If the prescription be for an
animal, it shall state the species of animal for which the drug is prescribed.
The person filling the prescription shall write the date of filling and his
own signature on the face of the prescription. The prescription shall be
retained on file by the proprietor of the pharmacy in which it is filled for a
period of two years, so as to be readily accessible for inspection by any
public officer or employee engaged in the enforcement of this article. The
prescription shall not be refilled.

(a) The Board of Pharmacy may, by regulation, not inconsistent with
the regulations promulgated by the United States Commissioner of Nar-
cotics, find and designate narcotic drugs and compounds possessing little
addiction liability. In lieu of a written prescription for such narcotic drugs
or compounds so designated by the Board of Pharmacy, an oral prescription
may be issued by a practitioner licensed by law to prescribe narcotic drugs
and compounds, and lawfully practicing his profession.

In issuing an oral prescription, the practitioner shall furnish the
pharmacist with the same information as is required by law in case of
a written prescription for narcotic drugs and compounds, except for the
written signature of the prescriber. The pharmacist who fills such prescrip-
tion shall be required to comply with all the provisions of law relating to
narcotic prescriptions, as required by this article.

(2) The legal owner of any stock of narcotic drugs in a pharmacy,
upon discontinuance of dealing in such drugs, may sell such stock to a manu-
facturer, wholesaler, or apothecary, but only on an official written order.

(3) An apothecary, only upon an official written order, may sell to
a physician, dentist, or veterinarian, in quantities not exceeding one ounce
at any one time, aqueous or oleaginous solutions of which the content of
narcotic drugs does not exceed a proportion greater than twenty per cen-
tum of the complete solution, to be used for medical purposes.

§ 54-497. A physician or a dentist, in good faith and in the course of
his professional practice only, may prescribe on a written prescription or
on oral prescription as authorized by § 54-496, subsection (1) (a), admin-
ister, and dispense narcotic drugs, or he may cause the same to be admin-
istered by a nurse or interne under his direction and supervision. Such a
prescription shall be dated and signed by the person prescribing on the day
when issued, and shall bear the full name and address of the patient for
whom the narcotic drug is prescribed, and the full name, address, and
registry number under the federal narcotic laws of the person prescribing,
provided he is required by those laws to be so registered.
§ 54-498. A veterinarian, in good faith and in the course of his
professional practice only, and not for use by a human being, may pre-
scribe, on a written prescription, or on oral prescription as authorized by
fei, subsection (1) (a), administer, and dispense narcotic drugs, and

e may cause them to be administered by an assistant or orderly under his
direction and supervision. Such a prescription shall be dated and signed
by the person prescribing on the day when issued except that an oral
prescription shall not require the prescriber’s signature and shall bear
the full name and address of the owner of the animal, and the species of
the animal, for which the narcotic drug is prescribed and the full name,
address and registry number, under the federal narcotic laws of the person
prescribing, provided he is required by those laws to be so registered.