ARTICLE 2. Treatment of Addicts for Addiction [11215. - 11223.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 2.

in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11215. Section 11215.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), any narcotic controlled substance employed in treating a person with substance use disorder for addiction shall be administered by: (1) A physician and surgeon. (2) A registered nurse acting under the instruction of a physician and surgeon. (3) A physician assistant licensed pursuant to Chapter 7.7 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code acting under the patient-specific authority of their physician and surgeon. (b) When acting under the direction of a physician and surgeon, the following persons may administer a narcotic controlled substance in the treatment of a person with substance use disorder for addiction to a controlled substance: (1) A psychiatric technician licensed pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 4500) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code. (2) A vocational nurse licensed pursuant to Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 2840) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code. (3) A pharmacist licensed pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code. (c) Except as permitted in this section, no person shall order, permit, or direct any other person to administer a narcotic controlled substance to a person being treated for addiction to a controlled substance.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11217. Section 11217.

Except as provided in Section 11223, no person shall treat a person with substance use disorder for addiction to a narcotic drug except in one of the following: (a) An institution approved by the State Department of Health Care Services, and where the patient is at all times kept under restraint and control. (b) A city or county jail. (c) A state prison. (d) A facility designated by a county and approved by the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to Division 5 (commencing with Section 5000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (e) A state hospital. (f) A county hospital. (g) A facility licensed by the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to Division 10.5 (commencing with Section 11750). (h) A facility as defined in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 1250 and Section 1250.3. A narcotic controlled substance in the continuing treatment of addiction to a controlled substance shall be used only in those programs licensed by the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 11839) of Chapter 10 of Part 2 of Division 10.5 on either an inpatient or outpatient basis, or both. This section does not apply during emergency treatment, or where the patient’s addiction is complicated by the presence of incurable disease, serious accident, or injury, or the infirmities of old age. Neither this section nor any other provision of this division shall be construed to prohibit the maintenance of a place in which persons seeking to recover from addiction to a controlled substance reside and endeavor to aid one another and receive aid from others in recovering from that addiction, nor does this section or this division prohibit that aid, provided that no person is treated for addiction in a place by means of administering, furnishing, or prescribing of controlled substances. The preceding sentence is declaratory of preexisting law. Neither this section or any other provision of this division shall be construed to prohibit short-term narcotic detoxification treatment in a controlled setting approved by the director and pursuant to rules and regulations of the director. Facilities and treatment approved by the director under this paragraph shall not be subject to approval or inspection by the Medical Board of California, nor shall persons in those facilities be required to register with, or report the termination of residence with, the police department or sheriff’s office.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11217.5. Section 11217.5.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11217, a licensed physician and surgeon may treat a person with substance use disorder for addiction in any office or medical facility which, in the professional judgment of the physician and surgeon, is medically proper for the rehabilitation and treatment of the person. A licensed physician and surgeon may administer to a person with substance use disorder, under their direct care, those medications and therapeutic agents which, in the judgment of the physician and surgeon, are medically necessary, provided that nothing in this section shall authorize the administration of any narcotic drug.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11218. Section 11218.

A physician treating a person with substance use disorder for addiction may not prescribe for or furnish to the person with substance use disorder more than any one of the following amounts of controlled substances during each of the first 15 days of that treatment: (a) Eight grains of opium. (b) Four grains of morphine. (c) Six grains of Pantopon. (d) One grain of Dilaudid. (e) Four hundred milligrams of isonipecaine (Demerol).

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11219. Section 11219.

After 15 days of treatment, the physician may not prescribe for or furnish to the person with substance use disorder more than any one of the following amounts of controlled substances during each day of the treatment: (a) Four grains of opium. (b) Two grains of morphine. (c) Three grains of Pantopon. (d) One-half grain of Dilaudid. (e) Two hundred milligrams of isonipecaine (Demerol).

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11220. Section 11220.

At the end of 30 days from the first treatment, the prescribing or furnishing of controlled substances, except medications approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the purpose of narcotic replacement treatment or medication-assisted treatment of substance use disorders, shall be discontinued.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11222. Section 11222.

In any case in which a person is taken into custody by arrest or other process of law and is lodged in a jail or other place of confinement, and there is reasonable cause to believe that the person is addicted to a controlled substance, it is the duty of the person in charge of the place of confinement to provide the person so confined with medical aid as necessary to ease any symptoms of withdrawal from the use of controlled substances. In any case in which a person, who is participating in a narcotic treatment program, is incarcerated in a jail or other place of confinement, he or she shall, in the discretion of the director of the program, be entitled to continue in the program until conviction.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 11223. Section 11223.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a physician and surgeon who is registered with the federal Attorney General pursuant to Section 823(g) of Title 21 of the United States Code may provide treatment for addiction pursuant to this federal law.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026