S.L. 101.2 Art. 8Control card.

(1) (a) No medical practitioner may prescribe any drug to any person unless such person is in possession of a control card, as per the Fifth Schedule, issued for the purpose by the

Superintendent of Public Health.

(b) In prescribing any drug to any person, the prescriber shall enter in a clear, indelible and legible manner all the details set out in columns 1 to 4 of the control card, and shall then return the card to such person together with the prescription:

Provided that a medical practitioner may, in making the application on behalf of a person on the request form as set out in the Sixth Schedule, also issue a prescription for a supply of a drug to such person and may attach the prescription to such request form:

Provided further that such prescription shall only become valid when the provisions of the proviso to sub-rule (2) have been complied with.

(2) The Superintendent shall issue such control card to the person concerned on receipt of a request, from a medical practitioner to this effect, made on the form as set out in the Sixth Schedule:

Provided that in the case of a prescription for a supply of a drug as provided for in the provisos to sub-rule (1), the Superintendent shall enter the details of the relative prescription in columns 1 to 4 of the control card.

(3) No control card shall be valid in excess of a period of one year from the date on which it is issued, unless it is renewed by the Superintendent of Public Health following a request by a medical practitioner, on the form set out in the Sixth Schedule.

(4) No apothecary shall dispense any drug to any person who is not in possession of a control card as set out in sub-rule (1).

(5) On dispensing a drug, the apothecary shall, in addition to other duties laid down by these Rules or by any law, enter in a clear, indelible and legible manner all the details set out in columns 5 to 8 on the card, and shall then return the card to the person presenting the prescription.

(6) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this rule, it shall be lawful for a medical practitioner to prescribe in urgent cases a drug to a patient who is not in possession of a control card provided that:

(i) the prescription is labelled "URGENT";

(ii) the amount prescribed does not exceed seven days’ supply;

(iii) it complies with other requirements of these Rules; and

(iv) the prescriber notifies the Superintendent of Public Health within forty-eight hours of issuing such prescription, giving full particulars of the patient, the name, form and dose and amount of drug prescribed and reasons for the urgency.

(b) It shall be lawful for an apothecary to dispense such a prescription complying with sub-paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (a).

(7) The provisions of this rule shall not apply to the prescription of a drug by a medical practitioner employed in a Government hospital, for administration to ward patients at that time under his care in such hospital, which prescription shall be controlled by hospital internal rules.

(8) Any request or notification in terms of this rule may be made in person or sent by post in a sealed envelope addressed to the Superintendent of Public Health, Department of Health, Valletta, and marked "Public Health Notification - Confidential" for the purpose of exemption from postage.

(9) For the purpose of this rule, the expression "medical practitioner" includes a dental surgeon and a dentist but does not include a veterinary surgeon.

(10) The Superintendent may withdraw the control card of a person who is suspected of abusing of a drug prescribed to him, or who is in any other way abusing of the control card system.

(11) The Superintendent may include on the control card such guidelines as he may deem necessary regarding the prescription of any drugs.