Opinion ID: 1726119
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: application to physicians

Text: The statute prohibits any person from delivering a controlled substance. This blanket prohibition by itself would prevent physicians from dispensing any medication. The statutory restriction on the delivery of controlled substances is clear. The term person as defined by the statute [4] does not exclude physicians or any other group. We find this categorical approach consistent with the legislative desire to establish the most comprehensive system of controls to regulate the use and abuse of controlled substances. Physicians, however, do possess a limited exemption from prosecution in MCL 335.332(2); MSA 18.1070(32)(2) which states: Persons registered by the administrator under this act to manufacture, distribute, prescribe, dispense or conduct research with controlled substances may possess, manufacture, distribute, prescribe, dispense or conduct research with those substances to the extent authorized by their registration and in conformity with the other provisions of this chapter. To maintain their exemption they must be in compliance with their registration under the act and conform to the other provisions of the act. But MCL 335.307(3)(a); MSA 18.1070(7)(3)(a) provides a limitation on their license to dispense controlled substances. This section defines a practitioner to include: A physician,    or other person licensed, registered or otherwise permitted to distribute, dispense, conduct research with respect to or to administer a controlled substance in the course of professional practice or research in this state. (Emphasis added.) Therefore physicians must act in the course of professional practice or research to retain their limited exemption. We find support for our interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act of 1971 in United States v Moore, 423 US 122; 96 S Ct 335; 46 L Ed 2d 333 (1975). In Moore a licensed physician registered under the Federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 USC 801 et seq., was convicted of a violation of 21 USC 841(a)(1) which made it: unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally     to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled substance;. [5] Our act substantially parallels the Federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 USC 801 et seq. [6] The United States Supreme Court extensively analyzed the Federal Controlled Substances Act and its legislative history and held: that registered physicians can be prosecuted under § 841 when their activities fall outside the usual course of professional practice. 423 US 122, 124. An interesting question raised by defendant is whether he can be prosecuted under MCL 335.341; MSA 18.1070(41) in light of MCL 335.342; MSA 18.1070(42) which provides: (1) It is unlawful for any person: (a) Who is subject to chapter 3, to distribute, prescribe or dispense a controlled substance in violation of section 38. (b) Who is a registrant, to manufacture a controlled substance not authorized by his registration, or to distribute, prescribe or dispense a controlled substance not authorized by his registration to another registrant or other authorized person, except as authorized by rules promulgated by the administrator.