Opinion ID: 1354921
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: UCSADeliveries by Prescriptions of Practitioners

Text: West Virginia's version of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (the UCSA) is codified at W.Va.Code, 60A-1-101 to 60A-6-605, as amended. West Virginia's UCSA, adopted in 1971, is derived from the Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which was approved in that year by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. [7] The UCSA, in turn, is similar to its federal counterpart, the Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, as amended, 21 U.S.C. §§ 801-971 (1988), and, in fact, the Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1970 was drafted to achieve uniformity between the laws of the several States and those of the Federal government. Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1970 prefatory note, vol. 9, part II, U.L.A. 2 (1988). [8] Both the Federal Controlled Substances Act and West Virginia's UCSA contain sections authorizing certain persons, including physicians, dentists or other statutorily defined practitioners, to engage in certain activities with controlled substances once they comply with the registration sections of the respective Acts. Both Acts provide general penalties, applicable to any person, for the offense of distributing or delivering controlled substances except as authorized[.] In addition, both Acts have separate, less severe penalty sections for violations of the technical, administrative requirements of the registration and prescription sections. We now turn to the key West Virginia statutory sections. W.Va.Code, 60A-4-401(a) [1983], which is the statute alleged to have been violated in counts 2, 9 and 10 of the indictment, provides, in material part: (a) Except as authorized by this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to ... deliver ... a controlled substance. [¶] Any person who violates this subsection with respect to: [¶] (i) A controlled substance classified in Schedule... II which is a narcotic drug, is guilty of a felony[.] (emphasis added) The terms deliver or delivery mean, in relevant part, the actual, constructive, or attempted transfer from one person to another of (1) a controlled substance[.] W.Va.Code, 60A-1-101(g) [1983] (emphasis added). A constructive delivery under this statute means the transfer of a controlled substance belonging to an individual or under his [or her] control by some other person or agency at the instance or direction of the individual accused of such constructive transfer. Syl. pt. 4, in part, State v. Ellis, 161 W.Va. 40, 239 S.E.2d 670 (1977) (interpreting the very similar 1971 predecessor to W.Va. Code, 60A-1-101(g) [1983]). Accordingly, a physician, dentist or other practitioner makes a constructive delivery of a controlled substance to a purported patient by having a pharmacist make an actual transfer of the controlled substance to such patient pursuant to a valid or invalid prescription issued by the physician, dentist or other practitioner. E.g., State v. Vinson, 298 So.2d 505, 507-09 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1974), aff'd on another point after remand, 345 So.2d 711 (Fla.1977); People v. Alford, 405 Mich. 570, 584, 275 N.W.2d 484, 488 (1979); syl., State v. Sway, 15 Ohio St.3d 112, 472 N.E.2d 1065 (1984). [9] Under W.Va.Code, 60A-3-302(a) [1971], as pertinent here, every person, otherwise authorized by law, who intends to distribute any controlled substance within this state must obtain annually a controlled substances distributor's registration, issued by the West Virginia board of pharmacy. See also 1 W.Va.Code of State Rules §§ 15-2-1.1 to 15-2-3.40 (1982). Compliance by distributors with the provisions of the federal law respecting controlled substances registration ordinarily entitles them to be registered in this state. W.Va.Code, 60A-3-303(d) [1971]. [10] Once duly registered, a person may distribute a controlled substance, but, importantly, only to the extent authorized by their registration and in conformity with the other provisions of this article. W.Va.Code, 60A-3-302(b) [1971] (in pertinent part; emphasis added). Except when administered directly by a practitioner (other than a pharmacist) to an ultimate user, no controlled substance in Schedule II may be dispensed without the written prescription of a practitioner. W.Va.Code, 60A-3-308(a) [1985]. Importantly, a practitioner is defined by W.Va. Code, 60A-1-101(v) [1983] to mean, in material part, (1)[a] physician, dentist, veterinarian, scientific investigator, 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) Under W.Va.Code, 30-4-11 [1986], a licensed dentist has the same rights to prescribe or administer drugs or medicines as may be necessary to the proper treatment of the special class of diseases mentioned in this article [on the practice of dentistry] as are enjoyed by registered physicians in this state. (emphasis added) This statute also provides: Pharmacists of this state shall fill prescriptions of licensed dentists in this state for any drugs necessary for the practice of dentistry. (emphasis added)