for the Purpose of Treating People With
Drug Dependence
Pursuant to section 24 (5) (a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, I, Dr David George Chaplow, acting under delegated authority from the Minister of Health, specify that:
Dr Kenneth Gordon Couper, in practice at Flagstaff Medical Centre, River Road, Hamilton, Waikato 2001
is a medical practitioner who may prescribe, administer, or supply controlled drugs for the purposes of that section, with the following conditions:
(a) Except in the course of his employment at Waikato District Health Board's Community Alcohol and Drug Service, his prescribing of controlled drugs
for the treatment of opioid dependence is limited to methadone;
(b) The prescription of methadone for the treatment
of dependence is limited to patients registered at
Dr Couper's practice who have been assessed
as requiring methadone treatment for opioid dependence by a gazetted methadone service; and
(c) Dr Couper's authorisation of other medical practitioners to prescribe controlled drugs for
the treatment of opioid dependence is limited to designated locums working in his practice, and
then only to his patients, and with his permission
in writing.
Dated at Wellington this 20th day of March 2002.
DR DAVID CHAPLOW, Director of Mental Health.