Text of the provision

Sec. 18. Unnecessary Prescription of Dangerous Drugs. – The penalty of imprisonment ranging from twelve

(12) years and one

(1) day to twenty

(20) years and a fine ranging from One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) to Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) and the additional penalty of the revocation of his/her license to practice shall be imposed upon the practitioner, who shall prescribe any dangerous drug to any person whose physical or physiological condition does not require the use or in the dosage prescribed therein, as determined by the Board in consultation with recognized competent experts who are authorized representatives of professional organizations of practitioners, particularly those who are involved in the care of persons with severe pain.

Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Republic Act No. 9165 (2002). Reproduced in full from the official enactment and verified word-for-word against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings.

What this section means

A practitioner who prescribes a dangerous drug to a person whose physical or physiological condition does not require it — or does not require the dosage prescribed — faces twelve (12) years and one (1) day to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of P100,000.00 to P500,000.00, and revocation of the licence to practise. The Board makes that determination in consultation with recognised competent experts who represent professional organisations of practitioners, particularly those involved in the care of persons with severe pain.

Related provisions

Cases citing this section

Note. The text above is reproduced in full from Republic Act No. 9165, verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings. The annotation around it is the work of Vivas & Nobles Law Office and is general legal information, not legal advice. How a provision applies to a particular situation depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your case can assess.