The Opium Act can also be applicable to veterinary medicinal products, for example to medicinal products used to anaesthetise animals (anaesthetics). A wholesale supplier of veterinary medicinal products must have an exemption under the Opium Act in order to be able to trade in such products.
Article 3 of the Dutch Opium Act states that it is not permitted to own, sell, deliver, or transport a substance that is on list I or list II of the Opium Act, or that is designated pursuant to Article 3a, paragraph 5 of the Opium Act.
It is possible to apply for an exemption to this ban. More information about applying for and obtaining an exemption under the Opium Act is available from Farmatec, which is part of the Central Information Unit on Healthcare Professions (CIBG), which itself is an executive organisation of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS).
Advertising substances covered by the Opium Act is prohibited on the grounds of Article 3b of the Opium Act. This article prohibits any advertising aimed at promoting the sale, delivery, or provision of substances referred to in Articles 2 or 3. Neither is it permitted, therefore, to refer to such substances on a website.