ordonnances

Ordonances is a French term with two principal senses, spanning medicine and law.

In medicine, an ordonnance is a prescription issued by a licensed clinician authorizing a patient to obtain medicines or certain therapeutic or diagnostic items. It specifies the patient’s identity, the prescribed substances, dosages, routes of administration, duration, and any special instructions. Pharmacies dispense only what is written, and prescriptions may be issued in paper or electronic form. Depending on the jurisdiction, ordonnances may include rules about refills, limits on quantities, or requirements for authorization of controlled substances.

In law and administration, an ordonnance is an executive decree with the force of law, issued under a framework law that authorizes the government to legislate in a defined area. This instrument allows the government to take rapid or large-scale action while Parliament debates a formal statute. Ordonnances are published in the Official Journal and become effective upon publication; they must be ratified by Parliament within a prescribed period to remain in force. If not ratified, they typically expire. Once ratified, they become ordinary laws or are incorporated into statutory texts. The legality and constitutionality of ordonnances can be reviewed, and they are subject to political and judicial controls, including oversight by the Conseil d'État and, ultimately, the Constitutional Council.

History and context show that ordonnances have roots in royal and imperial prerogatives and have evolved into a formal legislative tool in the modern French legal framework, especially under the Fifth Republic’s Article 38. Similar concepts exist in other jurisdictions under different names, referring to regulatory acts or prescriptions.

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