MEASURES FOR THE CONTROL OF NARCOTIC DRUGS
MEASURES FOR THE CONTROL OF NARCOTIC DRUGS
This English document is coming from the "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.
Whole Document
MEASURES FOR THE CONTROL OF NARCOTIC DRUGS
(Promulgated by the State Council of the People's Republic of
China on November 28, 1987)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1
These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Medicine
Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, for the purpose of
tightening control over narcotic drugs so as to ensure their safe use in
medical treatment units, medical colleges and medical research
institutions.
Article 2
Narcotic drugs refer to those drugs that may cause dependence and
addiction after continuous administration.
Article 3
Narcotic drugs include opium, cocaine, marijuana, synthetic anaesthetic
drugs and those defined by the Ministry of Public Health as addict-forming
drugs, anaesthetic raw herbs and the products made from them.
Article 4
The State shall strictly supervise and control the cultivation of the
mother plants of narcotics and the production, supply, export and import
of narcotic drugs. Narcotic drugs shall not be used except for the purpose
of medical treatment, teaching and research when necessary.
Chapter II The Cultivation of Mother Plants of Narcotics and the Production of Narcotic Drugs
Article 5
The units that cultivate mother plants of narcotics must be examined and
approved jointly by the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery and the State Administration for
Medicine. A copy of the report shall be sent to the Ministry of Public
Security.
The units that produce narcotic drugs must be examined and approved
jointly by the Ministry of Public Health and the State Administration for
Medicine. Without approval, no unit or individual shall be allowed to
produce narcotic drugs.
Article 6
The annual cultivation plan for mother plants of narcotics shall be
examined and approved jointly by the Ministry of Public Health and the
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery. The annual
production plan of narcotic drugs shall be examined and approved jointly
by the Ministry of Public Health and the State Administration for
Medicine. The cultivation units and the production units shall not change
the plans without authorization. The cultivation unit and the production
unit must assign a person or persons with the special responsibility for
the storage of the finished products, semi-finished products, poppy
capsules and poppy seeds. Sale or use of these things without
authorization shall be strictly prohibited.
Article 7
Narcotic drugs must be brought under strict quality control. The quality
of the products must meet the standards set for medicines by the State.
Article 8
Before the development of any new kind of narcotic drugs, the research
unit must first of all draw up a plan and submit it to the Ministry of
Public Health for examination and approval. After the new drug is
developed, the research and trial production units must go through the
formalities for the approval of such new drugs. The storage and use of the
trial products must follow strict procedures so as to prevent their loss.
Chapter III The Supply of Narcotic Drugs
Article 9
Narcotic drugs shall be provided in a planned way according to the demand
of medical treatment units, medical colleges and scientific research
institutions. A national supply plan of narcotic drugs shall be drawn by
a department appointed by the State Administration for Medicine and
submitted to the Ministry of Public Health and the State Administration
for Medicine for examination and approval before it is issued for
implementation.
Article 10
The plan for the setting up of a trading unit of narcotic drugs shall be
put forward jointly by the administrative department of health and
medicine administrative department in each province, autonomous region, or
municipality directly under the Central Government and shall be examined
and approved by the Ministry of Public Health and the State Administration
for Medicine. The trading units shall provide narcotic drugs only to those
consumer units approved by the administrative department of health and
within the prescribed quota. No supply for any other unit or person is
permitted.
Article 11
Poppy capsules used for medical purposes shall be supplied by the trading
units appointed by the State Administration for Medicine and medicine
department in each province, autonomous region, or municipality directly
under the Central Government. No other unit shall be allowed to engage in
such business. Poppy capsules must be allotted to the consumer units in
accordance with the plan examined and approved jointly by the Ministry of
Public Health and the State Administration for Medicine. Poppy capsules
shall be supplied to the medical treatment units for clinical use and to
the trading units designated by the administrative departments of health
at or above the county level for clinical application endorsed with an
office seal of their respective medical treatment units. No retail sale of
poppy capsules is allowed. The pharmaceutical factories that need poppy
capsules in the production of ready made Chinese medicine must submit
plans to the medicine administrative department in their province,
autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government
for examination and then to the administrative department of health for
approval before production.
Article 12
A trading unit of narcotic drugs must have a special storehouse or
counter(s) with good storage conditions and assign a person or persons
with special responsibility for the storage, transportation and supply of
narcotic drugs.
Chapter IV Transportation of Narcotic Drugs
Article 13
A permit for domestic consignment issued by the Ministry of Public Health
is needed when going through shipment formalities for transporting
medicinal opium. Shipment of medicinal opium from the cultivation unit to
the storehouse of the State Administration for Medicine shall be escorted
by the people sent by the consignor unit. Shipment of medicinal opium from
the storehouse to the production enterprises shall be escorted by the
people sent by consignee unit. The number of escorts shall be decided in
accordance with the regulations of the transportation department.
Permit for domestic transportation of such drugs shall be printed solely
by the Ministry of Public Health.
Article 14
When consigning narcotic drugs or poppy capsules (not including medicinal
opium), the production unit or the supply unit must put down clearly the
words of Narcotic Drug in the blank for the name of goods on the shipping
document and a seal for consignment of Narcotic Drug must be stamped in
the space left for the consignor.
Article 15
The freighter unit must tighten control over the shipment of narcotic
drugs and poppy capsules by dispatching the consignment promptly and
shortening its storage time at the station, on the dock or at the airport.
They must not be transported in open wagons on railways and, if by ship,
no loading on hold surface is allowed and, if by truck, they must be
securely fastened up and safely protected.
Article 16
In the event that any of the narcotic drugs or poppy capsules are found
missing in the course of transportation, the freighter-unit must report
the case promptly to the local public security organ and the
administrative department of health for investigation.
Chapter V Import and Export of Narcotic Drugs
Article 17
The import and export of narcotic drugs shall be handled by the units
appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade in
accordance with State regulations concerning foreign trade.
No other units shall be allowed to engage in the business. The annual plan
for import and export of narcotic drugs shall be subject to examination
and approval by the Ministry of Public Health.
Article 18
The import of narcotic drugs needed in medical treatment units, medical
colleges of or medical science research institutions must be verified and
approved by the Ministry of Public Health. Only after an Import License
for Narcotic Drugs is granted can these units apply to go through import
formalities.
Article 19
The export of narcotic drugs must be verified and approved by the Ministry
of Public Health. An application and an import license which is a
prerequisite to going through import formalities for narcotic drugs issued
by the competent government department of the importing country must be
presented before the Ministry of Public Health issues an Export License
for Narcotic Drugs.
Article 20
Import and export licenses for narcotic drugs shall be printed exclusively
by the Ministry of Public Health.
Chapter VI The Use of Narcotic Drugs
Article 21
Narcotic drugs shall only be used for medical treatment, in teaching at
medical colleges and in medical science research. Any medical treatment
unit with medical wards and with surgical or other necessary medical
treatment facilities may file an application to the local administrative
department of health. Upon approval by the administrative department of
health at a higher level, and after the level of supply is verified, a
Purchase Card for Narcotic Drugs shall be issued. The aforesaid unit may
purchase the needed narcotic drugs from the designated trading units
according to the fixed quota. When the medical colleges or scientific
research institutions are in need of narcotic drugs, they shall file an
application to the administrative department of health at a higher level
and, upon approval, may purchase these drugs from the trading units of
narcotic drugs. The Ministry of Public Health is the authority to make out
the grading standard of rations.
Article 22
Narcotic consuming unit must fill out an application form for when
purchasing, narcotic drugs and the supplying unit must check the various
seals and the number of seals stamped on the form before supplying them
with the kind of drugs on quarterly ration as stipulated in the
regulations set by the Ministry of Public Health.
Article 23
The unit in need of narcotic drugs can either purchase them directly from
the trading units or by mail order. In the latter case, however, the
shipping documents and certificates must be sent out by registered mail.
When sending the narcotic drugs by post, the sender-trading unit is
required to stamp a Seal for Narcotic Drugs on the parcel form and to
present to the post office the invoice with a Seal for Narcotic Drugs
stamped on.
Article 24
Preparations that fall under the category of narcotic drugs must be
purchased from the trading units of narcotic drugs. In case that they are
not available or special preparations are needed by the medical treatment
units, the authorized consuming medical units may prepare them by
themselves with approval by the administrative department of health at or
above the county level. No other unit shall be allowed to prepare any form
of anaesthetic.
Article 25
The medical worker who prescribes any anaesthetics for the patient must be
a qualified physician or a surgeon, who is tested to have been able to use
such drugs properly. The surgeon at the induced abortion ward who is
tested to have been able to use such drugs properly may have the right to
prescribe anaesthetics for the person to be operated on.
Article 26
Dosage for injection in each prescription must not exceed two days of
daily dose, as for the tablet, tincture, syrup, the dosage must not exceed
three days of daily dose. Administration of narcotic must not exceed a
period of seven days running. Prescription of narcotic drugs must be fully
and clearly stated with signature of the physician or surgeon on. When
preparing a narcotic drug, the pharmacist and the checker are required to
sign their names and keep the prescription of the narcotic drug on file.
No medical worker is allowed to prescribe any narcotic drug for
him/herself.
Article 27
In the case of a patient in serious conditions who is diagnosed by a
hospital at or above county level to be in need of narcotic drugs as a
pain killer, the hospital appointed by the administrative department of
health at or above the county level may issue the patient with a Special
Purchasing Card for Narcotic on the basis of the Prescription and by
checking his permanent residence booklet, and the patient may take this to
the appointed medical treatment unit to have the drug prepared. If the
patient holding a Special Purchasing Card for Narcotic is in need of a
larger dose and the seasonal ration of the medical treatment unit fails to
meet the demand, additional amount of narcotic shall be made available
only with the approval by the administrative department of health at a
higher level.
Article 28
Medical treatment units are required to tighten control over narcotic
drugs. Any illegal use, storage, transfer or borrowing of narcotic drugs
is prohibited. Narcotic drugs must be put under the charge of a person
specially appointed for the purpose and kept in a separate place under
lock. The distribution and prescriptions of narcotic drugs must be kept in
record separately from those of other medicine.
The prescriptions must be kept on file for a period of three years. The
medical treatment unit shall have the right to refuse dispensing of drugs
to those who abuse them in violation of relevant rules and regulations and
shall report the case to the local administrative department of health
promptly.
Article 29
In the event of an emergency case which is in need of narcotic drugs, the
medical treatment unit so involved and the trading unit of narcotic drugs
are required to supply a dose of narcotic promptly for the case only, and
the necessary formalities shall be done after the event.
Chapter VII Penalty Provisions
Article 30
Any violation of these Measures shall be subject to penalty by the local
administrative department of health according to the seriousness of the
case. The penalty shall cover confiscation of all the narcotic drugs and
the illegal earnings, a fine ranging from 5-10 times the illegal profits,
closing down of the business or revocation of "License for Pharmaceutical
Production Enterprise", "License for Pharmaceutical Business Enterprise"
or License for Medicaments"
(1) those who, without authorization, are engaged in the production of
narcotic drugs or have changed the production plan and made additional
kinds of narcotic drugs;
(2) those who are engaged in unauthorized trading business of narcotic
drugs and poppy capsules;
(3) those who supply or oversupply narcotics to any unit or person that
has not been granted the permission to use the stuff;
(4) those who prepare and sell any form of narcotic drugs without
authorization;
(5) those who are engaged in unauthorized import or export of narcotic
drugs;
(6) those who apply any new kind of narcotic drugs to patients clinically
or have produced any new kind of narcotic drugs without authorization.
Article 31
Those who have taken advantage of their professional work by prescribing
narcotics to other persons without complying with the rules or by
prescribing narcotics for themselves, and those who are directly
responsible for cheating to obtain or abusing the stuff, shall be given
disciplinary sanctions by the authorities of their units.
Article 32
Those who, in violation of these Measures, cultivate poppy without
authorization or take in narcotic drugs illegally shall be punished by a
public security organ in accordance with the Regulations on Administrative
Penalties for Public Security or other related rules.
Article 33
With respect to any one who produces, transports or sells narcotics or
poppy capsules, if the circumstances are serious enough to constitute a
crime, he shall be prosecuted for criminal liability by the judicial
organs according to law.
Article 34
A party, who is dissatisfied with the decision on an administrative
sanction may, within 15 days of receiving the notification on the
sanction, make a request for reconsideration to the authorities at the
level next higher, which shall make a reply within 10 days of receipt of
the appeal. If he is dissatisfied with the decision on reconsideration, he
may, within 15 days of receiving the reconsideration decision, bring a
suit before a people's court. If, upon the expiration of this period, the
party has neither complied with the sanction nor has brought a suit before
a people's court, the authorities that impose the sanction shall apply to
the people's court for compulsory enforcement.
Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions
Article 35
The specific administration rules for the supply and use of narcotic drugs
in the health and medical treatment units of the Chinese People's
Liberation Army and the Chinese People's Armed Police Force shall be
formulated jointly by the Ministry of Public Health, the General Logistics
Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the Logistics
Department of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force in accordance with
these Measures.
Article 36
The specific administration rules for the supply and use of veterinary
narcotic drugs shall be formulated jointly by the Ministry of Public
Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery in
accordance with these Measures.
Article 37
The rules for the implementation of these Measures shall be formulated by
the Ministry of Public Health.
Article 38
These Measures shall go into effect as of the date of promulgation. The
Provisions for the Administration of Narcotic Drugs, promulgated by the
State Council of the People's Republic of China on September 13, 1978,
shall become null and void on the same day.
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