STATUTORY INSTRUMENT

S.I. NO. 538 OF 2003

Opticians (Amendment) Act 2003 (Section 12) (Commencement) Order 2003

PUBLISHED BY THE STATIONERY OFFICE

DUBLIN

S.I. NO. 538 OF 2003

Opticians (Amendment) Act 2003 (Section 12) (Commencement) Order 2003

I, Micheál Martin, T.D., Minister for Health and Children, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 13 of the Opticians (Amendment) Act 2003 ( S.I. No. 308 of 1997 ), hereby order as follows:

1.   This Order may be cited as the Opticians (Amendment) Act 2003 (Section 12) (Commencement) Order 2003.

2.   The 11^th day of November 2003 is appointed as the day on which section 12 of the Opticians (Amendment) Act 2003 ( No. 22 of 2003 ) comes into operation.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

This Order brings section 12 of the Opticians (Amendment) Act 2003 ( No. 22 of 2003 ) into operation as from 11^th November 2003. All other sections of the Act were brought into operation under S.I. No. 350 of 2003 on 31^st July 2003.

Section 12 is being brought into operation in conjunction with the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003 ( SI No. 540 of 2003 ). These Regulations provide an exemption whereby optometrists may administer, in the course of their professional practice, certain listed medicinal products that are not intended for parenteral administration.

Department of Health and Children

November, 2003