Virginia Code 18.2-265.20: Sale or distribution of dextromethorphan to minors; purchase by minors; civil penalty
A. It is unlawful for any pharmacy or retail distributor knowingly or intentionally to sell or distribute any product containing dextromethorphan to a minor.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 18.2-265.20
- Dextromethorphan: means the dextrorotatory isomer of 3-methoxy-N-methylmorphinan and its salts. See Virginia Code 18.2-265.19
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Pharmacy: means any establishment or institution from which drugs, medicines, or medicinal chemicals are dispensed or offered for sale or on which a sign is displayed bearing the words "apothecary" "druggist" "drugs" "drug store" "drug sundries" "medicine store" "pharmacist" "pharmacy" "prescriptions filled" or any similar words intended to indicate that the practice of pharmacy is being conducted pursuant to a license issued under Chapter 33 of Title 54. See Virginia Code 18.2-265.19
- Retail distributor: means an entity licensed to conduct business in the Commonwealth that offers for sale to the public at a retail outlet any nonprescription compound, mixture, or preparation containing dextromethorphan. See Virginia Code 18.2-265.19
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
B. A pharmacy or retail distributor, or its employee or agent, shall not sell or distribute a product containing dextromethorphan unless the purchaser presents a federal, state, or local government-issued document that contains a photograph and the birth date of the purchaser that shows that the purchaser is at least 18 years of age or unless from the purchaser’s outward appearance the pharmacy or retail distributor would reasonably presume the purchaser to be 25 years of age or older.
C. It is unlawful for any minor knowingly or intentionally to purchase any product containing dextromethorphan.
D. Any pharmacy or retail distributor, or its employee or agent, that violates subsection A or any minor who violates subsection C is subject to a civil penalty of $25. Any pharmacy or retail distributor, or its employee or agent, that violates subsection B shall receive a notice of noncompliance and, upon any subsequent violation of subsection B, shall be subject to a civil penalty of $25. Such penalty shall be collected by the attorney for the Commonwealth for the locality where the violation occurred, and the proceeds shall be deposited into the Literary Fund.
E. The provisions of this section shall not apply if the product was obtained directly from, or pursuant to, a valid prescription or order of a practitioner while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by the Drug Control Act (§ 54.1-3400 et seq.).