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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58824</law_id><section_number>54.1-3408.05</section_number><catch_line>Use of FDA-approved substance upon publication of final rule</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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="34">Drug Control Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall be prosecuted under Chapter 7 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Use of terms &quot;controlled substances,&quot; &quot;marijuana,&quot; &quot;Schedules I, II, III, IV, V, and VI,&quot; &quot;imitation controlled substance,&quot; and &quot;counterfeit controlled substance&quot; in Title 18.2" href="/18.2-247/">18.2-247</a> et seq.) of Title 18.2 for acting in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="New drugs" href="/54.1-3421/">54.1-3421</a> or for prescribing, administering, <span class="dictionary">dispensing</span>, or possessing pursuant to a valid prescription issued by a <span class="dictionary">prescriber</span> any substance that has been approved as a <span class="dictionary">prescription drug</span> by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pursuant to 21 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;360bb and 21 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;355 on or after July 1, 2017, in accordance with any final or interim <span class="dictionary">final order</span> or rule issued pursuant to 21 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;811(j). Such immunity from <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> for a particular substance shall remain in effect until the earlier of (i) nine months as calculated from the latter of the date of the publication in the Federal Register of the interim <span class="dictionary">final order</span> or rule scheduling such substance or the <span class="dictionary">final order</span> or rule scheduling such substance, provided that a <span class="dictionary">final order</span> or rule is issued within nine months of the interim <span class="dictionary">final order</span> or rule, or (ii) such substance being added to a schedule in Article 5 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Board to administer article" href="/54.1-3443/">54.1-3443</a> et seq.) pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Board to administer article" href="/54.1-3443/">54.1-3443</a> or by enactment into <span class="dictionary">law</span>.</p></section></text><history>2017, cc. 416, 432.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
