(a) A physician, in good faith and in the course of the physician's professional practice only, may prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances, or may cause the same to be administered by a physician assistant, nurse or intern under the physician's direction and supervision, for demonstrable physical or mental disorders but not for drug dependence except in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations adopted thereunder. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection the Department of Consumer Protection may approve protocols allowing the dispensing of take-home doses of methadone, by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, to outpatients in duly licensed substance abuse treatment facilities. Such dispensing shall be done pursuant to the order of a licensed prescribing practitioner and using computerized dispensing equipment into which bulk supplies of methadone are dispensed by a pharmacist. The quantity of methadone dispensed by such nurse shall not exceed at any one time that amount allowed under federal or state statutes or regulations governing the treatment of drug dependent patients. The Department of Consumer Protection shall conduct inspections of such treatment facilities to ensure that the computerized dispensing equipment and related dispensing procedures documented in the approved protocols are adhered to.

(b) A dentist, in good faith and in the course of the dentist's professional practice only, may prescribe, administer or dispense controlled substances, or may cause the same to be administered by a nurse under the dentist's direction and supervision, to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, federal food and drug laws and state laws and regulations relating to dentistry.

(c) A podiatrist, in good faith and in the course of the podiatrist's professional practice only, may prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances in schedules II, III, IV or V, or may cause the same to be administered by a nurse under the podiatrist's direction and supervision, to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, the federal food and drug laws and state laws and regulations relating to podiatry.

(d) A veterinarian, in good faith in the course of the veterinarian's professional practice only, and not for use by a human being, may prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances, and may cause them to be administered by an assistant or orderly under the veterinarian's direction and supervision, to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, the federal food and drug laws and state laws and regulations relating to veterinary medicine.

(e) An advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant to section 20-94a, in good faith and in the course of such nurse's professional practice only, may prescribe, dispense, and administer controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV or V, or may cause the same to be administered by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse under the advanced practice registered nurse's direction and supervision, to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, the federal food and drug laws and state laws and regulations relating to advanced nursing practice.

(f) A nurse-midwife licensed under chapter 377, in good faith and in the course of the nurse-midwife's professional practice only, may prescribe, dispense, and administer controlled substances in schedules II, III, IV and V, or may cause the same to be administered by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse under the nurse-midwife's direction and supervision, to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, the federal food and drug laws and state laws.

(g) A physician assistant licensed pursuant to section 20-12b, in good faith and in the course of the physician assistant's professional practice only, may prescribe, dispense, and administer controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV or V, or may cause the same to be administered by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse who is acting under a physician's direction, to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, the federal food and drug laws and state laws and regulations relating to physician assistant practice.

(h) An optometrist authorized to practice advanced optometrical care, in good faith and in the course of the optometrist's professional practice only and who is duly authorized by section 20-127, may prescribe, administer or dispense controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV or V to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, the federal food and drug laws and state laws and regulations relating to optometry.

(i) Any person who has obtained directly from a physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, veterinarian, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or nurse-midwife any controlled substance for self-administration or administration to a patient during the absence of such physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, veterinarian, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or nurse-midwife shall return to such physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, veterinarian, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or nurse-midwife any unused portion of such controlled substance, when it is no longer required by the person or the patient, or may surrender such controlled substance to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection for proper disposition.

(j) (1) A prescribing practitioner, as defined in section 20-14c, shall not, except in an emergency, prescribe, dispense or administer controlled substances in schedules II to IV, inclusive, to a member of his or her immediate family. For purposes of this section, “immediate family member” means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, parent-in-law, son or daughter-in-law, brother or sister-in-law, step-parent, step-child, step-sibling or other relative residing in the same residence as the prescribing practitioner and shall not include an animal in the residence. In an emergency, a prescribing practitioner may prescribe, dispense or administer not more than a seventy-two-hour supply of such controlled substances to an immediate family member only when there is no other qualified prescribing practitioner available.

(2) A prescribing practitioner who prescribes, dispenses or administers any controlled substance to a member of his or her immediate family pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall perform an assessment for the care and treatment of the patient, medically evaluate the patient's need for such controlled substance and document such assessment and need in the normal course of his or her business. The prescribing practitioner shall document the emergency that gave rise to the prescription, dispensing or administering of such controlled substance to the immediate family member.

(k) A prescribing practitioner, as defined in section 20-14c, shall not, except in an emergency, prescribe, dispense or administer controlled substances in schedules II to IV, inclusive, for his or her own use. In an emergency, a prescribing practitioner may prescribe, dispense or administer not more than a seventy-two-hour emergency supply of such controlled substances for self-use only when there is no other qualified prescribing practitioner available.

(1967, P.A. 555, S. 16; 1969, P.A. 578, S. 2; 1972, P.A. 278, S. 8; 294, S. 43; P.A. 73-616, S. 62, 67; 73-681, S. 8, 29; P.A. 85-120, S. 1, 2; P.A. 89-389, S. 14, 22; P.A. 90-211, S. 14, 23; P.A. 91-224, S. 2; P.A. 95-332, S. 5; P.A. 96-70, S. 2; P.A. 99-102, S. 35; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c), (d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 18-166, S. 2; 18-168, S. 54.)

History: 1969 act inserted new Subsec. (d) re podiatrists and relettered former Subsecs. (d) and (e) accordingly, adding podiatrists in new Subsec. (f), formerly (d); 1972 acts replaced references to drugs, controlled drugs and narcotic drugs with “controlled substance(s)”, amended Subsec. (a) to replace “part III” with “state and federal laws and regulations”, amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to replace “federal narcotic laws” with “Federal Controlled Substances Act”, amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) to replace reference to Sec. 20-250 with reference to Federal Controlled Substances Act and food and drug laws and state laws relating to podiatry and required surrender of drugs to health commissioner rather than department in Subsec. (f); P.A. 73-616 made technical changes; P.A. 73-681 specified schedule II, III, IV or V substances in Subsec. (d), replaced incorrect reference to podiatry in Subsec. (e) with “veterinary medicine” and replaced health commissioner with commissioner of consumer protection in Subsec. (f); Sec. 19-460 transferred to Sec. 21a-252 in 1983; P.A. 85-120 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize a physician assistant to administer controlled substances under the direction and supervision of a physician; P.A. 89-389 added Subsecs. (f) and (g), relettered the existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (h) and amended Subsec. (h) to add the references to advanced practice registered nurses and nurse-midwives; P.A. 90-211 amended Subsec. (f) to add language pertaining to the prescribing, dispensing and administering of controlled substances in schedules II and III and removed language pertaining to the prescribing and administering of controlled substances by nurse anesthetists and inserted new Subsec. (h) pertaining to physician assistants, relettering and amending former Subsec. (h) accordingly; P.A. 91-224 amended Subsec. (f) by deleting language requiring a physician to cosign a prescription for a Schedule II or III controlled substance; P.A. 95-332 amended Subsec. (a) to allow the Department of Consumer Protection to approve protocols that permit the dispensing of methadone by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse; P.A. 96-70 inserted new Subsec. (i) concerning optometrists, relettering existing Subsec. as (j); P.A. 99-102 deleted Subsec. (b) re obsolete reference to osteopathy, relettered the remaining Subsecs., deleted obsolete references to osteopathy in redesignated Subsec. (i) and made technical changes reflecting gender neutrality; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Commissioner and Department of Consumer Protection with Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 18-166 added Subsec. (j) re prescribing, dispensing and administering certain controlled substances to an immediate family member, and added Subsec. (k) re prescribing, dispensing and administering certain controlled substances for self-use, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 18-168 amended Subsec. (g) by deleting reference to advanced practice registered nurse and making technical changes, effective June 13, 2018.

See Sec. 17a-714a re legal protections for licensed health care professionals who prescribe opioid antagonists to drug users.

Cited. 7 CA 403; 17 CA 257.

Subsec. (a):

Cited. 204 C. 156; Id., 377; 240 C. 799.

Use of “and” does not require that physician do all three acts, i.e. prescribe, administer and dispense, re controlled substances to come within exception provided by Subsec. to avoid liability under Sec. 21a-277(b) or 21a-278(b). 82 CA 435.