Controlled Substances Act 1984

If the Minister believes on reasonable grounds that a person has a history of consuming poisons or medicines in a quantity or manner that presents a risk to the person's health or has obtained or attempted to obtain a poison, medicine or medical device by false pretences or other unlawful means or for an unlawful purpose, the Minister may, for the purpose of preventing or restricting the supply of such a substance or device to that person, publish information relating to that person to all or any of the following classes of persons:

persons concerned in the management of hospitals or nursing homes who are responsible for the supply of such substances or devices to patients attending the hospitals or nursing homes; and

registered health practitioners; and

veterinarians; and

any other prescribed class of persons, being persons who deal in or supply such substances or devices in the ordinary course of their business or profession.

The Minister may publish information to a class of persons referred to in subsection (1)—

by publishing the information to a professional association prescribed by regulation whose members belong to that class of persons; or

in any other manner the Minister thinks fit.

Information published under this section is privileged unless it is proved that it was done with malice.

A person to whom information was published under this section must not communicate that information to any other person except so far as it may be necessary to do so in order to achieve the purpose of the publication.