Poisons Act
(Chapter 234, Section 21)
Poisons Rules
R 1
REVISED EDITION 1990
(25th March 1992)
[5th April 1957]
Citation
1.  These Rules may be cited as the Poisons Rules.
Definitions
2.—(1)  In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —
“animal” includes poultry;
“antimonial poisons” means chlorides of antimony, oxides of antimony, sulphides of antimony, antimonates, antimonites and organic compounds of antimony;
“arsenical poisons” means halides of arsenic, oxides of arsenic, sulphides of arsenic, arsenates, arsenites, copper aceto-arsenites, sodium thioarsenates and organic compounds of arsenic;
“British Pharmacopoeia” and “Pharmaceutical Codex” include the supplements and addenda thereto;
“food” includes a beverage;
“licensed importer” means an importer licensed under the Act;
“licensed person” means a person licensed under the Act;
“mercurial poisons” means oxides of mercury, mercuric salts and organic compounds of mercury;
“registered nurse” means a nurse whose name is included in any part of the register of nurses maintained under the Nurses and Midwives Act [Cap. 209];
“sale by wholesale” means sale in any of the circumstances set out in section 8 of the Act.
(2)  In these Rules —
(a)any reference to an alkaloid shall include a reference to any salt of that alkaloid and in a case where the esters of an alkaloid are included in the Poisons List by virtue of the words, “its esters”, to any ester of that alkaloid; and
(b)any reference to medicines for the internal treatment of human ailments shall include any medicine to be administered by hypodermic injection but shall not include a reference to gargles, mouth-washes, eye-drops, eye-lotions, ear-drops, preparations for naso-pharyngeal use, and douches for rectal, vaginal or urethral use.
(3)  Any reference in the Schedules to the percentage of a poison contained in any substance shall, unless otherwise expressly provided, be construed in the following manner, that is to say, a reference to a substance containing 1% of any poison means:
(a)in the case of a solid, that one gramme of the poison is contained in every 100 grammes of the substance; and
(b)in the case of a liquid, that one millilitre of the poison, or, if the poison itself is a solid, one gramme of the poison, is contained in every 100 millilitres of the substance,
and so in proportion for any greater or lesser percentage.
Licences
3.—(1)  A licence to import, store and sell by wholesale poisons included in —
(a)Part I of the Poisons List shall be in the Form A set out in the Eighth Schedule; and
(b)Part II of the Poisons List shall be in the Form B set out in the Eighth Schedule.
(2)  A licence to import and deal generally in poisons by wholesale and retail shall be in the Form C set out in the Eighth Schedule.
Form of record of sales
4.  The particulars of sales of poisons which are required by section 6(3)(b) of the Act to be entered in a book shall be entered in the Form D set out in the Eighth Schedule.
Wholesale sales
5.—(1)  No person licensed to sell poisons by wholesale in the Form B set out in the Eighth Schedule shall sell any poison otherwise than in the circumstances set out in section 8 of the Act.
(2)  A person so licensed shall keep a record of the arrival and sale of poisons in a book or other form of record kept solely for that purpose but shall not be required to comply with section 6(3)(b) of the Act. The record shall be kept in the Form E set out in the Eighth Schedule or otherwise recorded in such manner as to provide all the particulars required in that Form.
(3)  A person so licensed shall obtain an order in writing in accordance with rule 10 in respect of the sale of any poison and shall enter a reference to such order in the record kept in pursuance of paragraph (2).
Lead tetra-ethyl
6.—(1)  In this rule —
“lead tetra-ethyl” includes other similar lead containing compounds used as ingredients of motor spirits;
“petrol” means motor spirit containing lead tetra-ethyl.
(2)  No person shall manufacture lead tetra-ethyl in Singapore.
(3)  No person shall import, sell or have in his possession for sale any petrol containing lead tetra-ethyl measured as lead in concentration greater than 0.15 gramme in one litre of petrol.
(4)  Paragraph (3) shall not apply to the sale of petrol to be exported from Singapore.
Industrial colour dyes
7.—(1)  In this rule —
“industrial colour dye” means —
(a)Metanil yellow (sodium salt of metanily-lazodiphenylamine); or
(b)Orange II (sodium salt of p-(2-hydroxy-l-naphthylazo) benzene-sulphonic acid;
“sell” does not include a sale in any of the circumstances set out in section 8(a), (b, (e or (f) of the Act.
(2)  No person shall sell any industrial colour dye unless the purchaser holds a permit therefor issued by the licensing officer.
(3)  Such permit shall —
(a)be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue;
(b)be substantially in the Form set out in the Eleventh Schedule; and
(c)state the maximum quantity of the industrial colour dye that may be purchased and the purpose for which it is purchased.
(4)  The vendor of any industrial colour dye shall enter the following particulars on the back of the permit produced by the purchaser:
(a)the date of sale;
(b)the quantity sold; and
(c)the seller’s name and address.
(5)  (a) Where the total quantity of the industrial colour dye purchased is less than the quantity permitted, the vendor shall return the permit to the purchaser after complying with the requirements of paragraph (4).
(b) Where the maximum quantity of industrial colour dye stated in the permit has been purchased, the vendor shall retain the permit and forward it to the licensing officer.
Fees
8.  The fees for licences under the Act shall be as set out in the Ninth Schedule.
Extension of labelling provisions
9.  The provisions of section 6(2) of the Act and the provisions of these Rules relating to the labelling of poisons shall apply to the sale of any poison in the circumstances set out in section 8 (a), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of the Act; and shall also apply with respect to the supply of poisons (otherwise than by sale) in like manner as if references in those provisions to the sale and seller of poisons included references to the supply and supplier of poisons, respectively.
Limitation of section 6 (3) of Act to certain substances
10.  Except as provided in section 8 of the Act, section 6(3) of the Act shall apply to all substances in the First Schedule (whether or not they consist of or contain poisons included in Part I of the Poisons List) and which are not specified in the Fifth Schedule.
[Subst. by S 158/93 wef. 1.11.93]
Extension of section 6 (3) to section 8 of Act, sales and supply by commercial sample, and relaxation of this subsection
11.—(1)  Section 6(3) of the Act as modified by rule 10 shall apply to sales exempted by section 8 of the Act except sales of poisons to be exported from Singapore to a place other than Malaysia and shall also apply to the supply in the form of commercial sample, otherwise than on sale, of any substance included in the First Schedule in like manner as if references to the sale and seller of poisons respectively included references to the supply and supplier of poisons in the form of commercial samples.
Signed orders
11.—(2)  So much of section 6(3) of the Act as requires an entry in a book to be signed by the purchaser of a poison shall not, as respects the sale of a poison to a person for the purpose of his trade, business or profession, apply if the following requirements are satisfied:
(a)the seller obtains before the completion of the sale an order in writing signed by the purchaser stating his name and address, trade, business or profession, and the following particulars in regard to the article to be purchased, that is to say, the purpose for which it is required and the total quantity to be purchased, or, in the case of an article packed in ampoules, either the total quantity to be purchased or the total quantity intended to be administered or injected;
(b)the seller is satisfied that the signature is that of the person purporting to have signed the order, that the person carries on the trade, business or profession stated in the order, and that it is one in which the poison to be purchased is used; and
(c)the seller inserts in the appropriate entry in the record prescribed by rule 4 or 5 the words, “signed order” and a reference number by which the order can be identified:
Provided that where a person represents that he urgently requires a poison for the purpose of his trade, business or profession, the seller may, if he is reasonably satisfied that the person requires the poison and is, by reason of some emergency unable before delivery either to furnish to the seller an order in writing duly signed or to attend and sign the entry in the book, deliver the poison to the purchaser on an undertaking by the purchaser to furnish such an order within the 24 hours next following.
If the purchaser by whom any such undertaking has been given fails to deliver to the seller a signed order in accordance with the undertaking, or if any person for the purpose of taking delivery of any poison under the foregoing proviso makes a statement which is to his knowledge false, he shall be deemed to have contravened this rule.
(3)  Where the seller of a poison is satisfied that the poison is required by way of wholesale dealing or for the purpose of medical, dental or veterinary treatment, there shall not apply —
(a)in the case of a sale in any of the circumstances set out in section 8 (a) or (d) of the Act, such of the provisions of this rule as require the purchaser to state his trade, business or profession and the seller to be satisfied thereto; and
(b)in the case of a sale in any of the circumstances set out in section 8 (a), (c) or (d) of the Act, such of the provisions of this rule as require the purchaser to state the purpose for which the poison is required.
Relaxation of section 7 (3) of Act in case of certain medicines
12.  The requirements mentioned in section 7(3) of the Act need not be satisfied in the case of any medicine, not being a medicine consisting of or containing any substance included in the First Schedule, which is supplied by —
(a)a medical practitioner for the purposes of medical treatment; or
(b)a person licensed to sell any poison included in Part I of the Poisons List on and in accordance with a prescription given by a medical practitioner.
Exemption from provisions relating solely to substances in First Schedule
13.  Such of the provisions of these Rules and of the Act as apply solely to the substances included in the First Schedule, shall not apply to —
(a)machine-spread plasters;
(b)surgical dressings; or
(c)articles containing barium carbonate and prepared for the destruction of rats and mice.
Complete exemption of certain articles and poisons
14.  Nothing in these Rules or in the Act shall apply to —
(a)any article included in Group I of the Second Schedule;
(b)any poison in the first column of Group II of that Schedule when contained in or consisting of the article or substance specified in the second column opposite the description of that poison; or
(c)the import of any poison on account of the Government by any officer of the Government in the course of his duty.
Conditional exemption of lead compounds in paint
14A.  Nothing in these Rules or in the Act shall apply to lead compounds in paints in which the lead content is 0.06% or more by weight of the paint provided that the container of the paint is affixed with the appropriate label specified in the Twelfth Schedule.
[S 10/93 wef 01/02/1993]
[S 23/95 wef 01/02/1995]
Partial exemption of asbestos in vehicle brake and clutch lining
14B.  Nothing in these Rules or in the Act shall apply to asbestos in the form of chrysotile in —
(a)any vehicle brake or clutch lining not installed in any vehicle if the packaging of the vehicle or clutch lining is affixed with the appropriate label specified in the Thirteenth Schedule; and
(b)any vehicle brake or clutch lining installed in any vehicle if the vehicle is registered before 1st April 1995.
[S 93/95 wef 01/04/1995]
Exemption to import, export, store or transport sulphur in diesel oil
14C.  Nothing in these Rules or the Act or the Poisons (Hazardous Substances) Rules shall apply to the import, export, storage or transport of sulphur in diesel oil in which the sulphur content is more than 0.3% by weight of the diesel oil.
[R 2.]
[S 264/95 wef 01/07/1995]
[S 234/96 wef 01/07/1996]
Additional restrictions on sale of certain poisons
15.—(1)  It shall not be lawful to sell any poison included in the Third Schedule, except on and in accordance with a prescription given by a medical practitioner, dentist or veterinary surgeon in a form complying with the requirements of this rule.
(2)  This rule shall apply to the sale of such poisons notwithstanding that it consists of or is an ingredient of a medicine dispensed or supplied in the circumstances set out in section 7 (1) (b) and (c) of the Act, and in accordance with that section, but shall not apply to the sale of any such poison in the circumstances set out in section 8 of the Act.
(3)  For the purposes of this rule, a prescription shall —
(a)be in writing and be signed by the person giving it with his usual signature and be dated by him;
(b)specify the address of the person giving it;
(c)specify the name and address of the person for whose treatment it is given or, if the prescription is given by a veterinary surgeon, of the person to whom the medicine is to be delivered;
(d)have written thereon, if given by a dentist, the words, “For dental treatment only” or, if given by a veterinary surgeon, the words “For animal treatment only”; and
(e)indicate the total amount of medicine to be supplied and the dose to be taken.
(4)  The person dispensing the prescription shall comply with the following requirements:
(a)the prescription shall not be dispensed more than once unless the prescriber has stated thereon that it may be dispensed more than once;
(b)if the prescription contains a direction that it may be dispensed a stated number of times but no interval is specified, it shall not be dispensed more than once in 3 days, and if the intervals are specified without direction as to the number of times the prescription may be dispensed, it shall not be dispensed more than 3 times:
Provided that in an emergency a pharmacist may supply a poison included in the Third Schedule on the verbal instructions of a medical practitioner who has undertaken to give a prescription (or a written order where he is a medical practitioner in a hospital) within the next 24 hours following;
(c)at the time of dispensing there shall be noted on the face of the prescription above the signature of the prescriber the name and address of the seller and the date on which the prescription is dispensed; and
(d)in the case of a prescription to be repeated it shall be retained after being dispensed the second or third time, as the case may be, by the last person dispensing the prescription.
(5)  For the purpose of this rule, “dentist” shall not include any dentist whose name does not appear in the first division of the Register of Dentists published in pursuance of section 14(1) of the Dentists Act [Cap. 76].
Coded prescription prohibited
16.  No prescription for any poison included in Part I of the Poisons List shall be written wholly or partly in code or in such a manner that it is not decipherable by any pharmacist.
Restriction of sales by persons licensed to sell Part II poisons
17.—(1)  No person licensed to sell poisons included in Part II of the Poisons List only shall sell any arsenical or mercurial poison unless the purchaser thereof is engaged in the trade or business of agriculture or horticulture or the preservation of buildings or other structures liable to be destroyed by termites or other insects and requires the poison for the purpose of that trade or business.
(2)  No person licensed to sell by retail poisons included in Part II of the Poisons List only shall sell any poison included in the First Schedule except in a closed container as closed by the manufacturer or other person from whom the poison was obtained.
Restriction of sale of strychnine
18.  It shall not be lawful to sell or supply strychnine except as an ingredient in a medicine:
Provided that this rule shall not apply to the sale of strychnine —
(a)by way of wholesale dealing;
(b)to be exported from Singapore to a place other than Malaysia;
(c)for the purposes of being compounded in medicines prescribed or administered by a medical practitioner or a veterinary surgeon; or
(d)to a person or institution concerned with scientific education or research or chemical analysis, for the purpose of that education, research or analysis.
Manner of labelling containers
19.—(1)  Subject to any provision of these Rules to the contrary, the particulars with which the container of a poison is required to be labelled under section 6(2) of the Act and under these Rules shall appear in a conspicuous position on the container in which the poison is sold and on the box or other covering of whatever nature enclosing the container, and the particulars shall be clearly and distinctly set out and not in any way obscured or obliterated.
(2)  Where the poison is contained in an ampoule, cachet or similar article, it shall not be necessary to label the article itself, if the box or other covering in which the article is enclosed is duly labelled.
(3)  Nothing in section 6(2) of the Act or in these Rules shall require the labelling of any transparent cover or any wrapper, hamper, packing case, crate or other covering used solely for the purpose of transport or delivery.
Labelling of name of poison
20.—(1)  Subject as hereinafter provided, the name of a poison shall, for the purpose of the provisions relating to labelling, be the term under which it is included in the Poisons List:
Provided that where the term describes a group of poisons and not the poison specifically, the name of the poison shall be —
(a)if the poison is the subject of a monograph in either the British Pharmacopoeia or the Pharmaceutical Codex, one or other of the names or synonyms or abbreviated names set out at the head of the monograph; and
(b)in any other case, the accepted scientific name or the name descriptive of the true nature and origin of the poison.
(2)  Notwithstanding anything in paragraph (1), if the poison consists of, or is contained in, any preparation in the British Pharmacopoeia, or the Formulary of the Pharmaceutical Codex, or any dilution or admixture of such a preparation, the name of the poison may, for the purposes of this rule, be the name or synonym or abbreviated name used to describe the preparation in the British Pharmacopoeia or the Formulary of the Pharmaceutical Codex, with the addition of the letters B.P. or P.C., as the case may be.
Labelling of particulars as to proportion of poison
21.—(1)  The label of a container of a preparation which contains a poison as one of the ingredients shall include a statement of the proportion, whether stated as a percentage or not, which the poison bears to the total ingredients of the preparation, and where the proportion is stated as a percentage, the container shall be so labelled as to indicate whether the percentage is calculated on a basis of weight in weight, weight in volume, or volume in volume.
(2)  (a) In the case of a preparation containing a poison specified in the first column of the Fourth Schedule, it shall be sufficient to state on the label the particulars specified in the second column of that Schedule against the description of the poison.
(b) In the case of a preparation derived from nux vomica or from opium and containing one or more alkaloids of nux vomica or of opium named in the Poisons List, it shall be sufficient, so far as these alkaloids are concerned, to state on the label the proportion of strychnine or of morphine, as the case may be, contained in the preparation.
(3)  In the case of a preparation in the British Pharmacopoeia or the Formulary of the Pharmaceutical Codex which is named in accordance with rule 20(2) it shall not be necessary to state on the label the proportion of poison contained in the preparation, and in the case of any dilution or admixture of such a preparation, it shall be sufficient to state the proportion which the preparation bears to the total ingredients of the dilution or admixture.
(4)  Where the poison is in tablets, pills, cachets, capsules, lozenges or similar articles, or in ampoules, it shall be sufficient if the label of the box or covering in which the articles are enclosed states the number of the articles and the amount of the poison, or in the case of such a preparation as is mentioned in paragraph (3), the amount of the preparation contained in each article.
Indication of character of poison
22.—(1)  The container of any article specified in the Fifth Schedule shall, instead of being labelled with the word “Poison”, be labelled with the words specified in that Schedule as applicable to that article.
(2)  The said words or the word “Poison”, as the case may be, shall not be modified in meaning by the addition of any other word or mark, and shall —
(a)in the case of a substance included in the First Schedule, either be in red lettering or be set against a red background with the word “Poison” written or printed in the English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese languages; and
(b)in all cases either be on a separate label or be surrounded by a line within which there shall be no other words except words with which the container of the poison is required to be labelled under this rule and rule 23.
(3)  The Malay, Tamil and Chinese versions of the words prescribed in paragraph (2) shall be as set out in the Tenth Schedule.
Special cautions in case of certain substances
23.—(1)  It shall not be lawful —
(a)to sell or supply any liquid poison, other than a medicine, in a bottle of a capacity of less than 3.5 litres, unless the bottle is labelled with the words “Not to be taken” in red lettering or set against a red background, in the English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese languages;
(b)to sell or supply any poison consisting of or contained in any embrocation, liniment, lotion, liquid antiseptic or other medicine for external application unless the container is labelled with the name of the article and the words “For external use only”, in red lettering or set against a red background, in the English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese languages;
(c)to sell or supply any compressed hydrocyanic acid or ammonia unless the container is labelled with the words “Warning. This container holds poisonous gas and should only be opened and used by persons having expert knowledge of the precautions to be taken in its use”, and with the words “Poison beware of vapour” in the English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese languages; or
(d)to sell or supply sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or phenol containing more than 60% of phenols, unless the container is labelled with the words “Caution: this substance is caustic” in the English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese languages.
(2)  This rule shall be in addition to the other requirements of the Act and of these Rules with respect to labelling and shall apply to poisons dispensed or supplied in accordance with section 7 of the Act.
(3)  The Malay, Tamil and Chinese versions of the words prescribed in paragraph (1) shall be as set out in the Tenth Schedule.
Relaxation of certain labelling requirements
24.—(1)  Section 6(2)(d) of the Act shall not apply in the case of an article sold for the purpose of resale in the same container, and the requirements of that section shall be deemed to be satisfied in the case of a poison supplied from a warehouse or depot, if the container of the poison is labelled with the address of the supplier’s principal place of business, or, in the case of a limited company, of the registered office of the company.
(2)  Where any poison (other than a substance included in the First Schedule) is sold in a container and outer covering, being the container and outer covering in which it was obtained by the seller, it shall be sufficient if the name of the seller and the address of the premises on which the poison was sold appear only on the outer covering.
(3)  Where the names of more than one person or more than one address appear on any label, there shall also be words on the label indicating clearly which person is the seller and at which of the addresses the poison was sold.
Form of containers
25.—(1)  It shall not be lawful to sell, whether by wholesale or by retail, or supply any poison unless —
(a)it is contained in a container impervious to the poison and sufficiently stout to prevent leakage arising from the ordinary risks of handling and transport; and
(b)in the case of a liquid contained in a bottle of a capacity of less than 3.5 litres, not being a liquid made up ready to be taken for the internal treatment of human ailments or not being a local anaesthetic for injection in the treatment of human ailments, the outer surface of the bottle is fluted vertically with ribs or grooves recognisable by touch.
(2)  This rule shall apply to poisons dispensed or supplied in accordance with section 7 of the Act.
Storage of poisons
26.—(1)  It shall not be lawful to store any poison except in a container impervious to the poison and sufficiently stout to prevent leakage from the container arising from the ordinary risks of handling and transport.
(2)  It shall not be lawful to store any substance included in the First Schedule in any retail shop or premises used in connection therewith unless the substance is stored —
(a)in a cupboard or drawer reserved solely for the storage of poisons;
(b)in a part of the premises which is partitioned off or otherwise separated from the remainder of the premises and to which customers are not permitted to have access; or
(c)on a shelf reserved solely for the storage of poisons and —
(i)no food is kept directly under the shelf; and
(ii)the container of the substance is rendered distinguishable by touch from the containers of articles and substances other than poisons stored upon the same premises:
Provided that, in the case of any such substance to be used in agriculture or horticulture, it shall not be lawful to store the substance on any shelf, or in any such part of the premises if food is kept in that part, or in any cupboard or drawer unless the cupboard or drawer is reserved solely for the storage of poisons to be used as aforesaid.
Transport of poisons
27.  It shall not be lawful to consign any poison for transport unless it is so packed as to avoid leakage arising from the ordinary risks of handling and transport.
Special provisions with respect to transport of certain poisons
28.—(1)  It shall not be lawful to consign for transport by a carrier any substance or article, other than a medicine, consisting of or containing any poison included in the Sixth Schedule, unless the package containing the substance or article is labelled conspicuously with the name of the poison and a notice indicating that it is to be kept separate from foodstuffs and from empty containers in which foodstuffs have been kept.
(2)  It shall not be lawful for any person knowingly to transport any such substance or article, either on his own behalf or for another person, in any vehicle in which food is being transported, unless the food is carried in a part of the vehicle effectively separated from that containing the substance or is otherwise adequately protected from the risk of contamination.
Supply of medicines to out-patients from certain hospitals, etc.
29.—(1)  The provisions of the Act and of these Rules shall not apply to —
(a)any medicine for the treatment of human ailments dispensed from a hospital, infirmary or dispensary maintained by any public authority, or out of public funds, or by a charity; or
(b)any medicine for the treatment of animals supplied from a veterinary hospital which is under the superintendence of a veterinary surgeon,
but the requirements contained in paragraphs (2) to (5) shall be satisfied in relation thereto.
(2)  The medicine shall only the supplied by, or on and in accordance with a prescription of, a medical practitioner for the purposes of medical treatment, or a dentist for the purposes of dental treatment, or a veterinary surgeon for the purposes of animal treatment.
(3)  In a case where a substance included in the First Schedule is supplied, a record shall be kept on the premises in such a way that there can readily be traced at any time during a period of two years after the date on which the substance was supplied the following particulars:
(a)the name and quantity of the poison supplied;
(b)the date on which the poison was supplied;
(c)the name and address of the person to whom the poison was supplied; and
(d)the name of the person who supplied the poison or who gave the prescription upon which it was supplied.
(4)  The container of the medicine shall be labelled —
(a)with the name and address of the hospital, infirmary, dispensary or institution from which it was supplied;
(b)except in the case of a medicine made up ready for internal treatment, with the word “Poison”; and
(c)in the case of a poison supplied from a veterinary hospital, with the words “For animal treatment only”.
(5)  The container of a poison shall —
(a)be impervious to the poison and sufficiently stout to prevent leakage arising from the ordinary risks of handling and transport; and
(b)where the poison is a liquid of a quantity of less than 2.5 litres, not being a liquid made up ready to be taken for the internal treatment of human ailments and not being a local anaesthetic for injection in the treatment of human ailments, be a bottle the outer surface of which is fluted vertically with ribs or grooves recognisable by touch.
Supply of medicines for use in hospitals, etc.
30.—(1)  This rule and rule 31 shall apply to any hospital, infirmary, dispensary, clinic, nursing home or other institutions at which human ailments are treated (referred to in this rule and in rule 31 as an institution).
(2)  In any institution in which medicines are dispensed in a dispensing or pharmaceutical department in the charge of a person appointed for that purpose, no medicine containing a poison shall be supplied from that department, except in cases of emergency, for use in the wards, operating theatres or other sections of the institution, except in accordance with the requirements contained in paragraphs (3), (4) and (5).
(3)  The medicines shall only be supplied upon a written order signed by a medical practitioner, dentist, or by a registered nurse in charge of a ward, theatre or other section of the institution.
(4)  The container of the medicine shall be labelled —
(a)with words describing its contents; and
(b)in the case of substances included in the First Schedule (other than thermolabile substances), with a distinguishing mark or other indication indicating that the poison is to be stored in a cupboard reserved solely for the storage of poisons.
(5)  The container of a poison shall —
(a)be impervious to the poison and sufficiently stout to prevent leakage arising from the ordinary risks of handling and transport; and
(b)where the poison is a liquid of a quantity of less than 2.5 litres, not being a liquid made up ready to be taken for the internal treatment of human ailments and not being a local anaesthetic for injection in the treatment of human ailments, be a bottle the outer surface of which is fluted vertically with ribs or grooves recognisable by touch.
Storage of poisons in institutions
31.—(1)  The requirements contained in this rule shall apply to the storage of poisons in institutions.
(2)  In any institution in which medicines are dispensed in a dispensing or pharmaceutical department in charge of a person appointed for the purpose, all poisons other than those issued for use within the institution shall be stored in that department.
(3)  In any institution to which paragraph (2) does not apply all poisons other than those issued for use within the institution shall be stored —
(a)in the charge of the person appointed for the purpose by the governing body or person in control of the institution; and
(b)in case of poisons which are included in the First Schedule either in a cupboard or drawer, or on a shelf, reserved solely for the storage of poisons:
Provided that where a poison is stored on a shelf, the container of the poison shall be rendered distinguishable by touch from the containers or articles other than poisons stored on the same premises.
(4)  In every institution, every substance included in the First Schedule (other than thermolabile substances) which is stored in the wards shall be stored in a cupboard reserved solely for the storage of poisons.
(5)  All places in which poisons are required by this rule to be stored shall be inspected at regular intervals of time not exceeding 3 months by a pharmacist or by some other person appointed for the purpose by the governing body or person in control of the institution.
Manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations
32.—(1)  In all establishments in which pharmaceutical preparations containing any poison are manufactured for the purpose of internal or external treatment of human ailments, the preparations shall be manufactured by or under the supervision of —
(a)a pharmacist; or
(b)a Fellow or Associate of the Institute of Chemistry.
(2)  This rule shall apply whether or not the preparation so manufactured is a poison.
Colouring of poisons
33.  It shall not be lawful to sell any poison included in the Seventh Schedule and intended for use in agriculture or horticulture for the destruction of bacteria, fungi, insects or vermin or as weed-killer or for the preservation of buildings or other structures liable to be destroyed by termites or other insects unless there has been added to the poison a dye which is of a distinctive colour and which is soluble in water if the poison intended to be used is dissolved or mixed in water:
Provided that this rule shall not apply to —
(a)lead arsenate paste or lead arsenate powder;
(b)poisons which are of themselves of a distinctive colour;
(c)sheep dips which are already of a distinctive colour; or
(d)articles to be exported from Singapore to a place other than Malaysia.
Preservation of records
34.  All books, records and orders required under the provisions of the Act and of these Rules shall be preserved on the premises at which the sale or supply was made for a period of two years from the date of the sale or supply, or the date on which the last entry was made in the book or record, whichever is the later.
Penalties
35.  Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with —
(a)rule 5(1), 6, 17(1), 23, 25, 26, 27 or 28 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both;
(b)rule 33 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000;
(c)rule 5(2), 11(2), 16, 22(1), 29, 30, 31 or 34 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000; and
(d)rule 15, 18 or 32 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
Singapore Statutes Online
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Last updated 1 Feb 2025
Singapore Statutes Online is provided by the Legislation Division of the Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore.