I move amendment No. 67:
In page 15, subsection (1), line 50, after " prescription " to insert " or order form or equivalent from a medical practitioner, dentist, veterinary surgeon, chemist, druggist, hospital, health board, pharmaceutical production or distribution firm ".
Under this amendment section 23 (1) will read as follows:
A member of the Garda Síochána who has reasonable grounds for suspecting either that a person is in possession in contravention of this Act of a controlled drug, a forged prescription or a duly issued prescription or order form or equivalent from a medical practitioner, dentist, veterinary surgeon, chemist, druggist, hospital, health board, pharmaceutical production or distribution firm, which has been wrongfully altered or that a person is in possession of a duly issued prescription which will be used by him to deceive, may without warrant——
The reason for tabling this amendment is to clarify and cover in the legislation the other types of order forms which can be used. It need not necessarily be a simple prescription. It may be that the Minister is quite happy that a prescription covers all types of order forms but a prescription to me would mean the actual name of the drug, the instructions on how to take that drug and the quantity to be supplied. It would, generally speaking, be related entirely to one particular individual.
Will the Minister say if he is happy that the word " prescription " covers " order form or equivalent " from a medical practitioner, dentist, veterinary surgeon? A chemist or druggist cannot write a prescription. A hospital can authorise a person to collect X quantity of drugs from a pharmaceutical firm or a wholesale chemist to bring to the hospital. It is purely on a technical basis that I move this amendment.