Professional use of narcotic drugs. Physicians and den- tists. Veterinarians. Return of unused drugs. Preparations ex- empted. Medical prepara- tions containing small quantities of opium, etc. Preparations sus- ceptible of external use only. Exemptions subject to conditions pre- scribed. Contents other than narcotic drug. PUBLIC LAWS-CH. 532 -JUNE 20, 1938 PROFESSIONAL USE OF NARCOTIC DRUGS [52 STAT. PHYSICIANS AND DENTISTS SEC. 9 . (a) A physician or a dentist, in good faith and in the course of his professional practice only, may prescribe in writing, administer, and dispense narcotic drugs, or he may cause the same to be administered by a nurse or interne under his direction and super- vision. 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 nar- cotic laws of the person prescribing, provided he is required by those laws to be so registered. VETERINARIANS (b) A veterinarian, in good faith and in the course of his profes- sional practice only and not for use by a human being, may prescribe in writing, administer, and dispense narcotic drugs, and he 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 and shall bear the full name and address of the owner of the animal; the species of the animal for which the narcotic 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. RErURN OF UNUSED DRUGS (c) Any person who has obtained from a physician, dentist, or veterinarian any narcotic drug for administration to a patient during the absence of such physician, dentist, or veterinarian shall return to such physician, dentist, or veterinarian any unused portion of such drug, when it is no longer required by the patient. PREPARATIONS EXEMPTED SEC. 10. Except as otherwise in this Act specifically provided, this Act shall not apply to the following cases: (a) Prescribing, administering, dispensing, or selling at retail of any medicinal preparation that contains in one fluid ounce or, if a solid or semisolid preparation, in one avoirdupois ounce (1) not more than two grains of opium, (2) not more than one-quarter of a grain of morphine or of any of its salts, (3) not more than one grain of codeine or of any of its salts, (4) not more than one-eighth of a grain of heroin or of any of its salts. (b) Prescribing, administering, dispensing, or selling at retail of linments, ointments, and other preparations that are susceptible of external use only and that contain narcotic drugs in such combina- tions as prevent their being readily extracted from such liniments, ointments, or preparations, except that this Act shall apply to all liniments, ointments, and other preparations that contain coca leaves in any quantity or combination. The exemptions authorized by this section shall be subject to the following conditions: (1) The medicinal preparation, or the liniment, ointment, or other preparation susceptible of external use only, prescribed, administered, dispensed, or sold, shall contain in addition to the narcotic drug in it, some drug or drugs conferring upon it medicinal qualities other than those possessed by the narcotic drug alone.
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