Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-501
This is the official text of Md. Code, Criminal Law § 5-501, part of Maryland’s Code, Criminal Law — defines crimes and punishments in Maryland.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§5–501.
Official statutory text
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a person may not dispense a controlled dangerous substance without a written prescription or an electronic prescription from an authorized provider if the substance is:
(1) listed in Schedule II; and
(2) a drug to which § 21–220 of the Health – General Article applies.
(b) A controlled dangerous substance to which subsection (a) of this section applies may be dispensed without a written prescription or an electronic prescription by:
(1) an authorized provider who:
(i) is not a pharmacist; and
(ii) dispenses the controlled dangerous substance directly to an ultimate user; or
(2) a pharmacist if:
(i) an emergency exists;
(ii) the pharmacist dispenses the drug under regulations of the Department on an oral prescription that the pharmacist reduces promptly to writing and keeps on file; and
(iii) federal law authorizes the oral prescription.
(c) A prescription for a controlled dangerous substance listed in Schedule II shall be kept on file in conformity with the requirements for records and inventories under § 5–306 of this title.
(d) A person may not refill a prescription for a controlled dangerous substance listed in Schedule II.
(1) listed in Schedule II; and
(2) a drug to which § 21–220 of the Health – General Article applies.
(b) A controlled dangerous substance to which subsection (a) of this section applies may be dispensed without a written prescription or an electronic prescription by:
(1) an authorized provider who:
(i) is not a pharmacist; and
(ii) dispenses the controlled dangerous substance directly to an ultimate user; or
(2) a pharmacist if:
(i) an emergency exists;
(ii) the pharmacist dispenses the drug under regulations of the Department on an oral prescription that the pharmacist reduces promptly to writing and keeps on file; and
(iii) federal law authorizes the oral prescription.
(c) A prescription for a controlled dangerous substance listed in Schedule II shall be kept on file in conformity with the requirements for records and inventories under § 5–306 of this title.
(d) A person may not refill a prescription for a controlled dangerous substance listed in Schedule II.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Dealing with a criminal defense matter in Maryland?
See all Maryland Criminal Defense lawyers
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.