§329-54  Cooperative arrangements and
confidentiality.  (a)  The department of public safety shall cooperate with
federal and other state agencies in discharging its responsibilities concerning
traffic in controlled substances and in suppressing the abuse of controlled
substances.  To this end, it may:



(1)  Arrange for the exchange of information among
governmental officials concerning the use and abuse of controlled substances;



(2)  Coordinate and cooperate in training programs
concerning controlled substance law enforcement at local and state levels;



(3)  Cooperate with the Bureau by establishing a
centralized unit to accept, catalogue, file, and collect statistics, including
records of drug dependent persons and other controlled substance law offenders
within the State, and make the information available for federal, state and
local law enforcement purposes.  It shall not furnish the name or identity of a
patient or research subject whose identity could not be obtained under
subsection (c); and



(4)  Conduct programs of eradication aimed at
destroying wild or illicit growth of plant species from which controlled
substances may be extracted.



(b)  Results, information, and evidence
received from the Bureau relating to the regulatory functions of this chapter,
including results of inspections conducted by it may be relied and acted upon
by the department of public safety in the exercise of its regulatory functions
under this chapter.



(c)  A practitioner engaged in medical research
is not required or compelled to furnish the name or identity of a research
subject to the department of public safety, nor may the practitioner be
compelled in any state or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative,
or other proceedings to furnish the name or identity of any research subject
that the practitioner is obligated to keep confidential. [L 1972, c 10, pt of
§1; gen ch 1985; am L 1990, c 281, §10; am L 1997, c 280, §5]