EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002, (the “2002 Regulations”) by including within the definition of “health prescription” contained in regulation 2(1) of the 2002 Regulations a nurse independent prescriber, a pharmacist independent prescriber, and a supplementary prescriber as persons who may issue such a prescription.
Regulation 8 is amended to exempt ketamine from the restrictions on supplying or offering to supply controlled drugs, where this is done by specified healthcare professionals in accordance with the terms of a Patient Group Direction, except where the drug is administered for the purposes of treating addiction.
Regulations 15 and 16 of the 2002 Regulations are amended by removing references to temazepam, so that it is no longer exempt from the requirements relating to the form of prescriptions.
Ketamine is moved from Part 1 of Schedule 4 to Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations. The heading of Schedule 3 is amended to remove the reference to temazepam being exempt from the requirements of regulation 15 of the 2002 Regulations. The schedule of the Regulations in which a controlled drug is placed affects the extent to which the drug can be lawfully imported, exported, produced, supplied or possessed. The controlled drugs placed in Schedule 1 to the Regulations are those subject to the tightest controls.