(a) Narcotic drug dependent means an individual who physiologically needs heroin or a morphine-like drug to prevent the onset of signs of withdrawal. (b) The administering or dispensing, but not prescribing, of narcotic drugs listed in any schedule to a narcotic drug dependent person for “detoxification treatment” or “maintenance treatment” as defined in § 102 of the Federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 802) shall be deemed to be within the meaning of the term “in the course of his professional practice or research” in § 308(e) and § 102(20) of the Federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 828(e)); provided, that the practitioner is separately registered with the United States Attorney General as required by § 303(g) of the Federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 823(g)) and then thereafter complies with the regulatory standards imposed relative to treatment qualification, security, records and unsupervised use of drugs pursuant to the Federal Controlled Substances Act. (c) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a physician who is not specifically registered to conduct a narcotic treatment program from administering, but not prescribing, narcotic drugs to a person for the purpose of relieving acute withdrawal symptoms when necessary while arrangements are being made for
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referral for treatment. Not more than one (1) day’s medication may be administered to the person or for the person’s use at one time. Such emergency treatment may be carried out for not more than three (3) days and may not be renewed or extended. This Section is not intended to impose any limitations on a physician or authorized hospital staff member to administer or dispense narcotic drugs in a hospital to maintain or detoxify a person as an incidental adjunct to medical or surgical treatment of conditions other than addiction, or to administer or dispense narcotic drugs to persons with intractable pain in which no relief or cure is possible or none has been found after reasonable efforts.