If Ambien/Zolpidem tartrate can not be bought over the counter - then
what is the requirement to buy it and can it be bought at a normal
pharmacy or is it only being dispensed from hospitals?

Hi!!

As a therapeutic substance, zolpidem tartrate is regulated under the
"THE PHARMACY ACT":
All medicines are sold at pharmacies ONLY, you will need a
PRESCRIPTION handwritten, dated and signed by an authorised person.
More detailed information can be found below.

"1992/17 THE PHARMACY ACT, 1983 - AN ACT TO AMEND AND CONSOLIDATE THE
LAW RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS":
"17. Sale of pharmaceutical products:
(1) No person shall sell in a pharmacy any article other than ? 
       (a) a pharmaceutical product: 
       (b) a surgical, medical, scientific or hygienic appliance; 
       (c) a toilet preparation; or 
       (d) such other product as may be prescribed which is used,
prepared or sold for a medical, scientific, hygienic or industrial
purpose.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), no person shall, except with the
written permission of the Minister, sell by retail any prescribed
medicine or drug in any place other than a pharmacy.
(3) A medical practitioner may sell any medicine or drug if he does
not keep open shop and there is no pharmacy within a distance of 3
miles from the place where he attends a patient. "
...
"21. Prescriptions: 
(1) Subject to subsection 2, no pharmacist or assistant pharmacist
shall refuse to dispense a prescription at a pharmacy to any person
who offers to pay in cash for any pharmaceutical product prescribed.
(2) Where the pharmacist considers that the authorised person has made
an evident error or overlooked something which may endanger the life
or health of the patient, he shall delay the execution of the
prescription and refer the matter immediately to such person for
confirmation.
(3) Every prescription shall ? 
        (a) be handwritten, dated and signed by an authorised person; 
        (b) state the address of the authorised person who signed it; 
        (c) specify the name and address of ? 
           (i) the patient for whose use it is given; or 
           (ii) where it is given by a veterinary surgeon, the person
to whom the medicine prescribed is to be delivered;
        (d) where it is given by ? 
            (i) a dental surgeon, contain the words "For Dental Treatment Only"; 
            (ii) a veterinary surgeon, contain the words "For Animal
Treatment Only";
        (e) specify? 
             (i) the total amount of the pharmaceutical product to be supplied: or 
             (ii) where the pharmaceutical product is packed in
ampoules, the total amount intended to be administered or injected;
         (f) indicate ? 
             (i) the dose to be taken; or 
             (ii) the amount intended to be administered or injected
in each dose where the pharmaceutical product is packed in ampoules. "
...
"22. Dispensing prescriptions:
(1) No person shall dispense a prescription unless ? 
         (a) the prescription complies with section 21(2); 
         (b) he recognises the signature of the authorised person by
whom the prescription purports to have been issued and is satisfied
that the signature is genuine.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), no person shall supply a pharmaceutical
product more than once.
(3) Where a prescription so directs, it may be dispensed on any number
of occasions at the interval specified in the prescription.
(4) Every person dispensing a prescription shall ? 
        (a) at the time of dispensing, record on the prescription ? 
              (i) the date on which it is dispensed; and 
              (ii) where it is a prescription which may be dispensed
on more than one occasion, the dates on which it is dispensed;
        (b) deliver to the person for whose use the pharmaceutical
product is supplied or to his agent a true copy of the prescription
bearing ?
              (i) the serial number of the prescription; 
              (ii) the date on which the prescription is dispensed; and 
              (iii) the stamp of the pharmacy; and 
        (c) place on the container of each drug dispensed a proper
label indicating all instructions for the proper use of the drugs. "
...
"32. Sale of therapeutic substances: 
(1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall, except on a
prescription, sell by retail any therapeutic substance.
(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply- 
   (a) to the supply of a therapeutic substance which is an antibiotic
where it is made on production of a written requisition from one
pharmacist to another; or
   (b ) to a therapeutic substance sold- 
              (i) by wholesale; 
              (ii) for export; 
              (iii) to an authorised person; 
              (iv) to the owner or master of a ship or aircraft for
medical use on board;
              (v) to any institution or business which proves to the
satisfaction of the Board that it carries on scientific education or
research;
              (vi) to Government; or 
              (vii) to a person in charge of a hospital, clinic or
nursing home, or of any other institution which is approved by the
Board and provides medical, dental, surgical or veterinary treatment.
"
See more here:
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/legal_library/mu/legal_library_1992-06-05_1992-17.html


As a bonus I post a Powerpoint presentation that shows some Mauritius
pharmacy industry facts; take a look to slides #9, #10, #19, #21, #22,
#31, #23, #33, #34:
"Medicines Regulation in Tourism Driven Economies - Mauritius" by
Gérard Requin, Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Mauritius:
http://www.who.int/medicines/library/qsm/icdra2004/Presentations/Workshops/Workshop_4J._Public_health_needs_vs_the_marketplace/W4_Je.ppt

I also found contact info for Mr Requin:
Mr. G. Requin  
Director of Pharmaceutical Services 
(at Ministry of Health & Quality of life)
E-mail: grequin@mail.gov.mu  
Tel: (230) 201-1334 
Fax: (230) 201-3891  


I hope that my research will be useful to you.

Best regards.
livioflores-ga

great answer. Thanks