Mental Health Act, 2001

Administration of medicine.

60.—Where medicine has been administered to a patient for the purposes of ameliorating his or her mental disorder for a continuous period of 3 months, the administration of that medicine shall not be continued unless either—

(a) the patient gives his or her consent in writing to the continued administration of that medicine, or

(b) where the patient is unable or unwilling to give such consent—

(i) the continued administration of that medicine is approved by the consultant psychiatrist responsible for the care and treatment of the patient, and

(ii) the continued administration of that medicine is authorised (in a form specified by the Commission) by another consultant psychiatrist following referral of the matter to him or her by the first-mentioned psychiatrist,

and the consent, or as the case may be, approval and authorisation shall be valid for a period of 3 months and thereafter for periods of 3 months, if, in respect of each period, the like consent or, as the case may be, approval and authorisation is obtained.