Every prescriber should familiarize himself with the laws of his State that particularly affect his profession. This applies especially to those restricting the sale or prescribing of alcoholics, poisons, narcotics, ergot, etc.

The Federal (Harrison) Narcotic Law is, in its effect, probably the greatest law ever enacted in the history of the world. None but those in a position to know can estimate the extent to which narcotics were used, the rapid progress of the scourge, and the utter ineffectiveness of State legislation.

The essentials of this law that are of particular interest to the prescriber are:

A Physician Must Register With The Department Of Internal Revenue And Be Assigned A Number

This number must appear on his orders for drugs affected, and on his prescriptions calling for these drugs.

The drugs specified are Opium or Coca Leaves, or any preparation of them or derivative from them, or substitute, as Eucaine, Novacaine, etc.

It exempts those prepared remedies containing not over 2 grains of opium or 1 grain of codeine, or 1/4 grain of morphine, or 1/8 grain heroine to the fluidounce if liquid, or avoirdupois ounce if solid. Certain external preparations are also exempted. Paregoric is the only U. S. P. preparation exempted.

The prescription for drugs included in the law must not only have the physician's registry number, but must show the name and address of the patient, and have the physician's signature.

When the amount of the drug is unusual, as in treating an addict or a patient with an incurable disease, the prescription should carry a statement to that effect.

A physician is not allowed to prescribe these drugs to supply an addict, but only to treat disease.

A physician can administer these drugs to a patient he is attending (out of his office) without keeping a record, but if he leaves any of them to be administered in his absence he must keep a record of the amount of the drug, name and address of patient and date.

In office work where the physician is using very small amounts, he is permitted to merely keep a record of the date of purchase and date of exhaustion of his stock solutions.

This is not intended to serve as a working interpretation of the Harrison Narcotic Law, and is only the writer's personal understanding of those essentials now in force most affecting the prescribing of drugs. Every prescriber should secure a copy of the law from the Treasury Department and familiarize himself with its entire text.

It is certainly desirable to have the registry number printed on all prescription blanks.