Ethical, Legal and Liability Issues

Harrison Anti-Narcotic Act of 1914

Regulated the importation and distribution of opium and cocaine. Required doctors and pharmacists to register with the IRS and pay an annual tax. It mandated strict record-keeping for drug transfers, with specific forms and documentation needed to ensure compliance.

Webb vs. United States (1919). Webb wrote prescriptions for massive amounts of morphine for patients with OUD. He charged 50 cents per prescription. Goldbaum, a pharmacist, knowingly filled these prescriptions and ordered huge supplies of morphine from wholesalers to keep up with the demand

Court held that prescriptions of narcotics for maintenance treatment was not within the discretion of physicians and thus not privileged under the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act

The Volstead Act

The National Prohbition Act designed to execute the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919) which established the prohibition of alcoholic drinks

The Controlled Substances Act

Primary federal law in the United States that regulates the manufacturing, importation, possession, use, and distribution of certain drugs and chemicals. Enacted in 1970, it establishes five categories (schedules) based on a substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and dependency risks