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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68394</law_id><section_number>54.1-2519</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>2.2-3705.5</reference><reference>32.1-127.1:03</reference><reference>32.1-372</reference><reference>54.1-2505</reference><reference>54.1-3456.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="54.1">Professions and Occupations</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="25.2">Prescription Monitoring Program</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Administer</span>&#x201D; means the direct application of a <span class="dictionary">controlled substance</span>, whether by injection, inhalation, ingestion or any other means, to the body of a patient or research subject by (i) a practitioner or, under the practitioner&#x2019;s direction, his authorized agent or (ii) the patient or research subject at the direction and in the presence of the practitioner.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Bureau</span>&#x201D; means the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police, <span class="dictionary">Bureau</span> of Criminal Investigation, Drug <span class="dictionary">Diversion</span> Unit.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Controlled substance</span>&#x201D; means a drug, substance or immediate precursor in <span class="dictionary">Schedules</span> I through VI of the Drug Control Act, Chapter 34 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Citation" href="/54.1-3400/">54.1-3400</a> et seq.) of this title.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Covered substance</span>&#x201D; means all <span class="dictionary">controlled substances</span> included in <span class="dictionary">Schedules</span> II, III, and IV; <span class="dictionary">controlled substances</span> included in Schedule V for which a prescription is required; naloxone; and all drugs of concern that are required to be reported to the Prescription Monitoring Program, pursuant to this chapter. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Covered substance</span>&#x201D; also includes cannabis products dispensed by a pharmaceutical processor in Virginia.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x201D; means the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Health Professions.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Director</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> of the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Health Professions.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Dispense</span>&#x201D; means to deliver a <span class="dictionary">controlled substance</span> to an ultimate user, research subject, or owner of an animal patient by or pursuant to the lawful <span class="dictionary">order</span> of a practitioner, including the prescribing and administering, packaging, labeling or compounding necessary to prepare the substance for that delivery.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Dispenser</span>&#x201D; means a person or entity that (i) is authorized by <span class="dictionary">law</span> to <span class="dictionary">dispense</span> a <span class="dictionary">covered substance</span> or to maintain a stock of <span class="dictionary">covered substances</span> for the purpose of dispensing, and (ii) <span class="dictionary">dispenses</span> the <span class="dictionary">covered substance</span> to a citizen of the Commonwealth regardless of the location of the <span class="dictionary">dispenser</span>, or who <span class="dictionary">dispenses</span> such <span class="dictionary">covered substance</span> from a location in Virginia regardless of the location of the <span class="dictionary">recipient</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Drug of concern</span>&#x201D; means any drug or substance, including any <span class="dictionary">controlled substance</span> or other drug or substance, where there has been or there is the potential for abuse and that has been identified by the Board of Pharmacy pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Drugs of concern" href="/54.1-3456.1/">54.1-3456.1</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Prescriber</span>&#x201D; means a practitioner licensed in the Commonwealth who is authorized pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Prescriptions to be issued and drugs to be dispensed for medical or therapeutic purposes only" href="/54.1-3303/">54.1-3303</a> and <a class="law" title="Professional use by practitioners" href="/54.1-3408/">54.1-3408</a> to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a prescription for a <span class="dictionary">covered substance</span> or a practitioner licensed in another state to so <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a prescription for a <span class="dictionary">covered substance</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Recipient</span>&#x201D; means a person who receives a <span class="dictionary">covered substance</span> from a <span class="dictionary">dispenser</span> and includes the owner of an animal patient.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Relevant health regulatory board</span>&#x201D; means any such board that licenses persons or entities with the authority to prescribe or <span class="dictionary">dispense</span> <span class="dictionary">covered substances</span>, including the Board of Dentistry, the Board of Medicine, the Board of Veterinary Medicine, and the Board of Pharmacy.</p></section></text><history>2002, c. 481; 2005, cc. 637, 678; 2014, c. 664; 2018, cc. 185, 379, 567, 772; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 227, 228.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
