(a) Every person who manufactures, distributes, dispenses, prescribes, administers or uses for scientific purposes, including the police sciences any controlled dangerous substance within this territory, or who proposes to engage in the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, prescribing, administering or use for scientific purposes, including the police sciences of any controlled dangerous substance within this territory shall obtain a registration issued by the Director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, in accordance with rules promulgated by the Director.
(1) Persons registered by the Director pursuant to this chapter to manufacture, distribute, dispense, or conduct research with controlled dangerous substances may possess, manufacture, distribute, dispense, or conduct research with those substances to the extent authorized by their registration and in conformity with the other provisions of this chapter.
(2) Every wholesaler, manufacturer or distributor of any drug product containing pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers shall obtain a registration issued by the Director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control in accordance with rules promulgated by the Director.
(b) Out-of-the territory pharmaceutical suppliers who provide controlled dangerous substances to individuals within this the territory shall obtain a registration issued by the Director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, in accordance with rules promulgated by the Director; provided that this provision shall not apply to wholesale distributors who ship controlled dangerous substances to pharmacies or other entities registered within this territory in accordance with rules promulgated by the Director.
(c) Manufacturers, distributors, home care agencies, hospices, home care services, drug-detecting canine trainers or handlers and scientific researchers shall obtain a registration annually. Other practitioners shall obtain a registration for a period to be determined by the Director which must be for a period not less than one year nor more than three years.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the following persons are not required to register and may lawfully possess controlled dangerous substances under this chapter:
(1) An agent, or an employee of any registered manufacturer, distributor, dispenser or user for scientific purposes of any controlled dangerous substance, if such agent is acting in the usual course of such agent's or employee's business or employment and the employer has a current Virgin Islands registration;
(2) An ultimate user or a person in possession of any controlled dangerous substance pursuant to a lawful order of a practitioner;
(3) An individual pharmacist acting in the usual course of such pharmacist's employment with a pharmacy with a current registration;
(4) Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses while acting pursuant to the authority of an individual or other entity with a current registration.
(e) The Director may, by regulation, waive the requirement for registration or fee for registration of certain manufacturers, distributors, dispensers, prescribers, administrators, or users for scientific purposes if the Director finds it consistent with the public health and safety.
(f) A separate registration is required at each principal place of business or professional practice where the applicant manufactures, distributes, dispenses, prescribes, administers, or uses for scientific purposes controlled dangerous substances.
(g) The Director may inspect the establishment of a registrant or applicant for registration in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Director.
(h) No person engaged in a profession or occupation for which a license to engage in such activity is provided by law may be registered under this chapter, unless such person holds a valid license of such person's profession or occupation.
(i) Registrations are issued on the first day of January of each year. Registrations may be issued at other times, however, upon certification of the professional licensing board.
(j) The licensing boards of all professions and occupations to which the use of controlled dangerous substances is incidental shall furnish a current list of the persons holding valid licenses to the Director not later than the first day of October of each year. All such persons except persons exempt from registration requirements under subsection (d), (e) or (h) of this section are subject to the registration requirements of subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section.
(k) The licensing board of any professional defined as a mid-level practitioner shall notify and furnish to the Director, not later than the first day of October of each year that such professional holds a valid license, a current listing of individuals licensed and registered with their respective boards to prescribe, order, select, obtain and administer controlled dangerous substances. The licensing board shall immediately notify the Director of any action subsequently taken against any such individual.