Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts(1) The Chief Health Officer may authorise an employee within the meaning of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act to receive and give substance information and maintain records relating to substance information.
(2) An employee authorised under subsection (1) is authorised to:
(a) maintain records relating to substance information as directed by the Chief Health Officer;
(b) receive substance information from or give substance information to any other authorised employee or any other person authorised by the Chief Health Officer to give or receive that information; and
(c) give substance information to the medical practitioners and pharmacists to whom it is necessary or desirable to give that information.
(3) A medical practitioner or pharmacist who is given substance information must not directly or indirectly disclose that information except to the following persons:
(a) a medical practitioner or pharmacist in the course of and for the purpose of practising medicine or pharmacy;
(b) an authorised employee or any other person authorised by the Chief Health Officer to receive that information.
(4) A person (not including a medical practitioner, pharmacist or authorised employee) who is given substance information must not directly or indirectly disclose that information except to an authorised employee or any other person authorised by the Chief Health Officer to receive that information.
(5) A person is not entitled to commence civil or criminal proceedings against the Chief Health Officer or authorised employee in relation to an act done or omitted in good faith in the exercise or purported exercise of a power under this section.
(6) Subsection (5) does not affect any liability that the Territory may have for an act or omission referred to in that subsection.
(7) In this section:
"authorised employee" means any of the following:
(a) an employee authorised under subsection (1);
(b) an employee of the Commonwealth, or of a State or another Territory of the Commonwealth, who has authority to receive and give substance information;
(c) the Chief Poisons Inspector.
"substance information" means lawfully obtained information relating to the supply, therapeutic use or other use of a substance to which this Act applies, including:
(a) information about supply to or use by a specified person; and
(b) information maintained under subsection (2)(a).