The Misuse of Drugs (Notification of and Supply to Addicts) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1973
SR 1973 No. 180 came into force on 1st July 1973.
Amending Regulations
Below is a list of amending regulations since they came into force.
- Misuse of Drugs and the Misuse of Drugs (Notification of and Supply to Addicts) (Amendment) Regulations (N.I.) 2005 - S.R.2005 NO 564
Under this, any doctor who attends a person who he considers, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, is addicted* to any drug shall within seven days of the attendance, furnish in writing to the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health and Social Services such of the following particulars with respect to that person as are known to the doctor: the name,
- address,
- sex,
- date of birth
- health service number of that person,
- the date of the attendance and
- the name of the drug or drugs concerned.
(*For the purposes of these Regulations a person shall be regarded as being addicted to a drug if, and only if, he has as a result of repeated administration become so dependant upon the drug that he has an overpowering desire for the administration of it to be continued.)
It shall not be necessary for a doctor who attends a person to comply with the provisions of the above paragraph if:
(a) the doctor is of the opinion, formed in good faith, that the continued administration of the drug or drugs concerned is required for the purpose of treating organic disease or injury; or
(b) the particulars which, apart from this paragraph, would have been required under those provisions to be furnished have, during the period of twelve months ending with the date of the attendance, been furnished in compliance with those provisions:
- (i) by the doctor; or
- (ii) if the doctor is a partner in or employed by a firm of general practitioners, by a doctor who is a partner in or employed by that firm; or
- (iii) if the attendance is on behalf of another doctor, whether for payment or otherwise, by that doctor; or
- (iv)if the attendance is at a hospital, by a doctor on the staff of that hospital.
The above applies to the following drugs:
Notifiable Drugs
1. The following substances and products, namely:-
| Cocaine | Hydromorphone | Oxycodone |
| Dextromoramide | Levorphanol | Pethidine |
| Diamorphine | Methadone | Phenazocine |
| Dipipanone | Morphine | Piritramide |
| Hydrocodone | Opium |
2. Any stereoisomeric form of a substance specified in paragraph 1 or 2 above, not being dextrorphan.
3. Any ester or ether of a substance specified in paragraph 1 or 2 above not being a substance specified in Part II of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
4. Any salt of a substance specified in any of paragraphs 1 and 3 above.
5. Any preperation or other product containing a substance or product specified in any of paragraphs 1 to 4 above.
The Misuse of Drugs (Notification of and Supply to Addicts) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1973
SR 1973 No. 180 came into force on 1st July 1973.
A doctor shall not administer or supply to a person who he considers, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, is addicted* to any drug, or authorise the administration or supply to such a person, of any substance specified in the paragraph below, or prescribe for such a person any such substance, except:
- (a) for the purpose of treating organic disease or injury;
- (b) under and in accordance with terms of a licence issued by the DHSSPSNI in pursuance of these Regulations.
*(For the purposes of these Regulations a person shall be regarded as being addicted to a drug if, and only if, he has as a result of repeated administration become so dependant upon the drug that he has an overpowering desire for the administration of it to be continued.)
This does not apply to the administration or supply by a doctor of a substance specified in the paragraph below if the administration or supply is authorised by another doctor under and in accordance with the terms of a licence issued to him in pursuance of these Regulations.
The substances referred to in paragraphs above are:
- (a) cocaine, its salts and any preparation or other product containing cocaine or its salts; or
- (b) diamorphine, its salts and any preparation or other product containing diamorphine or its salts.
- (c) dipipanone, its salts and any preparation or other product containing dipipanone or its salts
Application Form for Licensing
- Download an Application Form for Licensing (MS Word 56KB)
- Download an Application Form for Licensing (PDF 30KB).
