GUIDE TO POISONS AND THERAPEUTIC GOODS LEGISLATION FOR

MEDICAL, NURSE AND MIDWIFE PRACTITIONERS

AND DENTISTS
This Guide is a summary only and should be used in conjunction with the Poisons
and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966, the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008
(obtainable from Fuji Xerox, Tel: 9311 9899; also available on the Internet at
www.legislation.nsw.gov.au) and the NSW Poisons List.

Further information may be obtained from the Duty Pharmaceutical Officer,

Pharmaceutical Services, NSW Ministry of Health, Locked Mail Bag 961, North Sydney
NSW 2059, Tel: (02) 9391 9944; Fax: (02) 9424 5860.

NOTE: Wherever the term “authorised practitioner” is used in this Guide (other than
in relation to Schedule 8 drugs), unless otherwise indicated, it refers to medical
practitioners, dentists, veterinary surgeons, nurse and midwife practitioners authorised
under section 17A, optometrists authorised under section 17B and podiatrists
authorised under section 17C of the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act. In relation to
Schedule 8 drugs, an “authorised practitioner” is a medical practitioner, nurse or
midwife practitioner authorised under section 17A of the Poisons and Therapeutic
Goods Act, dentist or veterinary practitioner.

THE POISONS LIST

The Poisons List is the list of substances to which the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods
Act and Regulation apply. It is divided into eight schedules (Schedule 1 is empty, so
reference to it has been omitted). This list, except for a very small number of variations,
is based on the Commonwealth’s Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines
and Poisons. The following is a summary of the nature of the substances in each
schedule. The requirements for the storage, supply, labelling, recording, etc. for
Schedules 4 and 8 are detailed later in this Guide.

Schedule 2

Substances which are dangerous to life if misused or carelessly handled but which
should be available to the public for therapeutic use or other purposes without undue
restriction and may be supplied only by authorised practitioners, pharmacists or persons
licensed as "Poisons Licence Holders".

Schedule 3

Substances which are for therapeutic use and:

(i) about which personal advice may be required by the user in respect of their
dosage, frequency of administration and general toxicity;
(ii) with which excessive unsupervised medication is unlikely; or
(iii) which may be required for use urgently so that their supply only on the
prescription of an authorised practitioner would be likely to cause hardship.

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Schedule 3 substances may be supplied only by authorised practitioners or
pharmacists. Where such substances are supplied by a pharmacist, they must be
personally handed to the patient by the pharmacist and give the person an opportunity
to seek advice as to the use of the substance. Other conditions apply to certain
substances.

Schedule 4 (Restricted Substances)

Substances which in the public interest should be supplied only upon the written
prescription of an authorised practitioner.

Schedule 5

Poisonous substances of a dangerous nature commonly used for domestic purposes

which should be readily available to the public but which require caution in their
handling, use and storage.

Schedule 6

Substances which should be readily available to the public for agricultural, pastoral,
horticultural, veterinary, photographic or industrial purposes or for the destruction of
pests.

Schedule 7

Substances of exceptional danger which require special precautions in their

manufacture, packaging, storage and/or use.

Schedule 8 (Drugs of Addiction)

Substances which are addiction producing or potentially addiction producing.

Possession, supply, prescribing and use are strictly limited.

Other controls

Provision is also made for substances to be rigidly controlled by subjecting their use or
supply to special authority.
___________________

The majority of preparations available only on medical or dental authority fall into one of
the following categories:

A. RESTRICTED SUBSTANCES (Schedule 4)

B. RESTRICTED SUBSTANCES ON SPECIAL AUTHORITY

C. DRUGS OF ADDICTION (Schedule 8)

A. RESTRICTED SUBSTANCES (Schedule 4)

A1. Acquisition. Restricted substances may be obtained by a medical practitioner or

dentist:

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 (i) from a licensed wholesaler on a signed and dated order (on the
letterhead) of the medical practitioner or dentist, or
(ii) from a pharmacy for emergency use on a signed and dated order (on
the letterhead) of the medical practitioner or dentist.

A2. Storage. Must be stored in a part of the premises which is partitioned off or
otherwise separated from the remainder of the premises and to which the public
is not permitted to have access (e.g. a cupboard or drawer in a surgery).

A3. Prescriptions. A prescription for a restricted substance may be issued by a

medical practitioner for use in medical treatment or by a dentist for use in dental
treatment. It is valid for 12 months from the date of writing, except in the case of
a prescription for an Appendix D substance (see A6), which is valid for 6 months
only.

The prescription should be written legibly in ink in the prescriber's handwriting

unless otherwise approved (see the Guide TG 184 entitled “Criteria for Issuing
Non-Handwritten (Computer Generated) Prescriptions”) and must bear the
following particulars:
(a) the date on which it is issued;
(b) the patient's name and address;
(c) the name, strength and quantity of the restricted substance;
(d) the number of repeats if the prescription is to be dispensed more than
once;
(e) in the case of prescriptions for anabolic/androgenic steroidal agents or the
specified barbiturates, the time interval between any repeat dispensing
ordered. (The specified barbiturates are amylobarbitone and
pentobarbitone, but only where they are packed and labelled for injection;
otherwise, these two drugs are in Schedule 8);
(f) adequate directions for use; and
(g) the signature of the prescriber.

The prescription must also show the prescriber's name and designation, and the
address and telephone number of the surgery where the records of prescribing
are kept in the patient medical records (or if issued at a hospital, the name,
address and telephone number of the hospital). These particulars may be pre-
printed.

A prescription written by a dentist must be endorsed with the words "For dental
treatment only".

Where, in the case of an emergency, a direction, either by telephone, electronic

mail or facsimile, is given for the supply of a restricted substance, a prescription,
endorsed to show that it is issued as confirmation of such a direction, must be
written within 24 hours and forwarded within 7 days to the dispenser.

Where a prescriber wishes to exercise some control over the frequency at which
repeats on a prescription are dispensed, an interval, even when this is not

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 obligatory as indicated above, between repeat dispensing should be written on
the prescription, e.g. repeat twice at 10 day intervals. There is then an obligation
on the pharmacist dispensing a repeat to ensure that at least that period of time
has elapsed since the prescription was last dispensed.

It should be noted that all prescriptions for anabolic/androgenic steroidal

agents and the specified barbiturates must be retained at the pharmacy
dispensing the original prescription. Where repeats are ordered, the patient
will therefore be required to return to the pharmacy at which the prescription was
originally dispensed to obtain the repeats.

A4. Prescribing and Supply to be within Therapeutic Standards. A medical

practitioner or dentist must not issue a prescription for, or supply, a restricted
substance in a quantity, or for a purpose, that does not accord with recognised
therapeutic standards of what is appropriate in the circumstances.

A5. Sale or Supply. Where a medical practitioner or dentist supplies or sells a

restricted substance, including clinical samples, a record must be made showing:
(a) the date on which the medicine was supplied;
(b) the name and address of the patient; and
(c) the name, strength and quantity of the restricted substance supplied.

This record must be kept at the prescriber’s surgery, office or hospital and be
made available for inspection if required.

The label on the container of any restricted substance supplied must include:
(a) the words "KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN" in red on a white
background;
(b) where the medicine is for external use, the word "POISON" or the words
“FOR EXTERNAL USE” in red on a white background;
(c) the approved name, strength and quantity of the medicine and (unless the
medicine is a preparation compounded extemporaneously to the
prescriber's own formula) its proprietary name also;
(d) adequate directions for use, which should be as explicit as possible;
(e) the patient's name;
(f) the name and address of the medical practitioner or dentist; and
(g) any necessary or appropriate warnings about the risk of impairment of
driving ability or the concurrent consumption of alcohol associated with the
medicine.

A6. Appendix D Substances. Some restricted substances which may be abused

and/or which are liable to cause dependence are listed in Appendix D to the
Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation (See summary below. The full list,
TG14, is referred to in the list of brochures available on the Internet on the last
page of this Guide). A medical practitioner or dentist must immediately report the
loss or theft of an Appendix D substance to Pharmaceutical Services by
completing the online ‘Notification of Loss or Theft of Accountable Drugs (S8 and

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 S4D substances)’ located on the Internet at:
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical/Pages/lost-stolen-drugs.aspx
and, in the case of theft, to the Police.

There is an obligation on a patient requesting a medical practitioner or dentist to

supply or prescribe an Appendix D substance, to disclose the amount of that
substance or any other Appendix D substance(s) that they have been prescribed
or supplied with over the last 2 months. When such a request is made, if the
information is not voluntarily disclosed by the patient, it is appropriate to
ask them directly and, in any case, record the response on the patient’s
file.

Substances in Appendix D include, for example:

amylobarbitone when packed and labelled for injection
anabolic/androgenic steroidal agents
barbiturates not elsewhere specified in Schedule 4 of the Poisons List
(e.g. methylphenobarbitone, phenobarbitone, thiopentone)
benzodiazepine compounds (e.g. clonazepam, diazepam, midazolam,
nitrazepam, oxazepam, temazepam, etc.)
(Note: Alprazolam and flunitrazepam are in Schedule 8)
dextropropoxyphene preparations when included in Schedule 4
diethylpropion
ephedrine
pentobarbitone when packed and labelled for injection
phentermine
pseudoephedrine preparations when included in Schedule 4.

Each time a medical practitioner or dentist prescribes an Appendix D

substance they must make a record of:
• the date of the prescription
• the patient’s name and address
• the name, strength and quantity of the substance
• the number of repeats (if any) and repeat intervals, see A3(e)
• the directions for use (as written on the prescription)

This record, which would normally be made in the patient’s file, must be kept at
the prescriber’s surgery, office or hospital and made available for inspection if
required.

Unauthorised possession of an Appendix D substance is an offence.

Persons authorised to have possession of Appendix D substances include

“authorised practitioners”, pharmacists, a nurse in charge of a ward in a public

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 hospital, licensed wholesalers and a person for whom a prescription for that
substance has been issued by an “authorised practitioner”.

B. RESTRICTED SUBSTANCES ON SPECIAL AUTHORITY

The substances listed below may be prescribed only by medical practitioners

having the prior authority of the NSW Ministry of Health. However, medical
practitioners with specified qualifications and, in some cases, in specified
circumstances, are automatically authorised to prescribe the following drugs for
any of their patients unless specifically restricted. (Note: Separate
Pharmaceutical Benefits authority may also be necessary).

The drugs concerned and a summary of the qualifications required are as

follows:
 acitretin, etretinate, - FACD
isotretinoin for oral use
 clomiphene, cyclofenil - FRCOG, FRANZCOG, FRACP
(practising endocrinology in a Specialist
Endocrinology Unit)
 dinoprost, dinoprostone - FRCOG, FRANZCOG
(other than vaginal gel)
 dinoprostone vaginal gel - FRCOG, FRANZCOG
(other practitioners having obstetric
privileges at a hospital equipped to carry
out foetal monitoring and emergency

delivery may apply for individual

authority)
 follitropin beta, - specialist endocrinologists
luteinising hormone,
urofollitropin (human
FSH)
 tretinoin for oral use - specialist haematologists

The medical practitioner must indicate clearly on the prescription:

• their qualification, and
• the words “ISSUED UNDER CLAUSE 37 OF THE POISONS AND
THERAPEUTIC GOODS REGULATION 2008” or words to that effect (for
example “Clause 37”).

Practitioners, who were previously individually authorised, may continue to use

their current CL….., RA……, PG(T)…….., (as the case may be) endorsement in
lieu of the above.

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C. DRUGS OF ADDICTION (Schedule 8)

C1. Acquisition. Drugs of addiction may be obtained by a medical practitioner or

dentist:
(i) from a licensed manufacturer or wholesaler on a signed and dated order
(on the letterhead) of the medical practitioner or dentist;
(ii) from a pharmacy for emergency use on a signed and dated order (on the
letterhead) of the medical practitioner or dentist.

C2. Storage. Must be kept apart from all other goods (other than cash or documents)
in a safe, cupboard, or drawer in a cabinet, which is securely attached to a part
of the premises and which is kept locked when the drugs are not in immediate
use. Emergency supplies may be carried in a bag, provided the bag is left in a
locked room, locked cupboard, or locked vehicle when not in immediate use. A
room etc is not “locked” if the key is left in the lock or is otherwise readily
accessible to anybody.

C3. Accountability. A RECORD MUST BE MADE IN A DRUG REGISTER OF ALL

DRUGS OF ADDICTION OBTAINED, SUPPLIED OR ADMINISTERED,
irrespective of whether such drugs were obtained from a wholesaler, or from a
pharmacist on an order for emergency use, or on a prescription written for a
patient and held by the medical practitioner or dentist on behalf of the patient.

The record must be entered in the register in ink on the day on which the
transaction takes place. A separate page must be used for each kind of drug of
addiction and for each strength of the drug. No alteration may be made in the
register, but any mistake may be corrected by a marginal or footnote, initialled
and dated. The register must be kept on the premises in which the drugs of
addiction are stored, it must be retained for a period of two years from the date of
the last entry and made available for inspection if required. Details to be entered
include:
(i) the date of the entry;
(ii) the name and address of the supplier (in the case of receipt) or the patient
(in the case of administration or supply);
(iii) the quantity received, supplied or administered and the balance held after
the transaction; and
(iv) the signature of the medical practitioner/dentist.

A "Register of Drugs of Addiction" can be purchased from most pharmaceutical

wholesalers or from Fuji Xerox (Tel: 02 9311 9899). A pocket sized drug register
can be purchased from RACGP, 1 Palmerston Cres, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
(Tel: 03 8699 0508). Alternatively, a bound exercise book in which the pages are
numbered consecutively and which has columns ruled as shown below, could be
used. Each preparation of a drug of addiction and each strength must be listed
on a separate page.

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 Drug Name, Form and Strength ..................................

DATE NAME & QTY QTY BALANCE NAME OF SIGNATURE OF

ADDRESS OF IN OUT AUTHORITY PERSON
PERSON PRESCRIBING,
SUPPLIED OR SUPPLYING OR
FROM WHOM ADMINISTERING
RECEIVED

Twice a year, during March and September, every person who is required to
keep a drug register must carry out a full stock check of all drugs of addiction in
their possession. Immediately under the last entry for each drug, they should
write the date on which the check was done, the words "Balance on hand", the
quantity actually held, and they should sign the entry. Any person who assumes
control of a practice for one month or more should immediately perform a similar
stock check irrespective of the time of year.

If a drug register is lost or destroyed, the medical practitioner or dentist must

immediately:
 notify the Ministry of Health in writing of the fact and of the circumstances.
The notification should be addressed to:
Chief Pharmacist
Pharmaceutical Services Unit
NSW Ministry of Health
Locked Mail Bag 961
North Sydney NSW 2059

or may be faxed to (02) 9424 5860.

(For advice, telephone the Duty Pharmaceutical Officer on 02 9391 9944.)

 count the quantity of drugs of addiction held and enter the particulars in a
new register

A drug register must be kept for 2 years from the date of the last entry made in it.

If a medical practitioner or dentist loses (or has stolen from them) a drug of
addiction, they must immediately notify Pharmaceutical Services by completing
the online ‘Notification of Loss or Theft of Accountable Drugs (S8 and S4D
substances)’ located on the Internet at:
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical/Pages/lost-stolen-drugs.aspx
and enter the relevant details in the drug register.

The police should also be notified where theft has occurred.

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C4. Prescriptions. A prescription for the supply of a drug of addiction may be issued:
(i) by a medical practitioner only for use in the course of medical treatment;
or
(ii) by a dentist for use in the course of dental treatment for a period not
exceeding one month’s continuous treatment of a patient
(a) in a hospital, with any drug of addiction; or
(b) not in a hospital, with only pentazocine or any drug of addiction
appearing at that time on the list of preparations on the current
Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits which may be prescribed by
dentists.

A prescription for a drug of addiction written by a medical practitioner or dentist is

valid for a maximum of 6 months from the date of writing, even if repeats are
ordered.

The prescription should be written legibly in ink in the prescriber's handwriting

unless otherwise approved (see the Guide entitled “Criteria for Issuing Non-
Handwritten (Computer Generated) Prescriptions”, TG184, under “Further
Information” on the last page of this Guide) and must bear the following
particulars:
(a) the date on which it was written;
(b) the patient's name and address;
(c) the name and strength of the drug of addiction;
(d) the quantity to be dispensed, in both words and figures;
(e) if the prescription is to be dispensed more than once, the number of
repeats and the minimum time interval between repeat dispensing;
(f) adequate directions for use; and
(g) the signature of the prescriber.

Note: The details (c) to (f) inclusive on a computer-generated prescription, as

outlined in Guide TG184 referred to above, for a drug of addiction must also be
handwritten by the prescriber. Where the prescription is in duplicate, the
handwritten part must be on the duplicate copy, to be retained by the pharmacist.

The prescription must show the prescriber's name and designation and the
address and telephone number of the surgery (or if issued at a hospital, the
name, address and telephone number of the hospital). These particulars may be
pre-printed.

A prescription written by a dentist must be endorsed with the words “For dental
treatment only” which may be pre-printed on the form.

A separate prescription form is required for each preparation containing a drug

of addiction. No other item may be written on the same form (including no other
preparation containing a drug of addiction).

A medical practitioner or dentist must confirm any dose of a drug of addiction that
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 could be regarded as being dangerous or unusual by underlining the dose
and initialling in the margin.

Each time a medical practitioner or dentist prescribes a drug of addiction, they

must make a record (in the patient’s file kept at the surgery, office or hospital) of:
• date of the prescription
• patient’s name and address
• drug name, strength and quantity
• number of repeats (if any) and intervals, and
• directions for use, as written on the prescription

Where, in the case of an emergency, a medical practitioner or dentist directs the

supply of a drug of addiction either by telephone, electronic mail message or
facsimile, a prescription, endorsed to show that it is issued as confirmation of
such a direction, must be written forthwith and forwarded to the pharmacist within
24 hours. (Note: A facsimile or electronic mail message still has to be followed up
by a written prescription).

It should be noted that prescriptions for which repeats are ordered must be
retained at the pharmacy dispensing the original prescription. Patients who
require repeat dispensing, where ordered, will therefore be required to return to
the pharmacy at which the prescription was originally dispensed.

PRESCRIPTION PADS AND STATIONERY FOR COMPUTER GENERATED

PRESCRIPTIONS ARE FREQUENTLY STOLEN. It is wise to have only one pad
and limited stationery in use at any time and to keep the remainder in a locked
cupboard. If a loss is discovered or forgeries are detected, the police should be
notified immediately. Arrangements can be made to alert pharmacists by
contacting the Duty Pharmaceutical Officer, Pharmaceutical Services (Tel: 02
9391 9944).

NOTE: It is obligatory under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation

2008 for a pharmacist to contact the prescriber to confirm the validity of a
prescription for any drug of addiction unless the pharmacist knows the patient or
is familiar with the prescriber's handwriting. Prescribers may therefore expect
phone calls from pharmacists carrying out their obligations in this regard or in
relation to prescriptions whose validity is otherwise doubtful. This is
designed to help prevent illegal access to drugs by forgeries.

C5. Prescribing and Supply to be within Therapeutic Standards. A medical

practitioner or dentist must not issue a prescription for, or supply, a drug of
addiction in a quantity, or for a purpose, that does not accord with recognised
therapeutic standards of what is appropriate in the circumstances.

C6 Authority Requirements. An authority that is required under the provisions of

the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act is distinct from, and independent of, any
authority under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which is only for the
subsidy of the cost of the medication to the patient.

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 An authority is required to prescribe or supply a drug of addiction under the NSW
Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation, only in the circumstances described
below.

(i) The Treatment of Drug Dependent Persons

A drug dependent person* may not be supplied with any drug of

addiction or a prescription for a drug of addiction without the prior written
authority of the NSW Ministry of Health, except for treatment of the
person as an in-patient in a hospital for a period not exceeding 14
consecutive days following admission. See “Forms” below.

NOTE: Drug dependent persons frequently attempt to persuade medical

practitioners to write prescriptions for drugs of addiction, often for the
treatment of non-existent conditions. Medical practitioners should be
particularly alert to the possibility of a deception, especially if confronted
with a person who has not previously attended the practice and who
nominates the drug for which they want a prescription, directly or by
inference. A guide to the tactics used by drug dependent persons to
persuade practitioners to write prescriptions for drugs of addiction is
available from Pharmaceutical Services (Tel: 02 9391 9944) –
“Recognising and Handling Drug Dependent Persons - Notes for Medical
Practitioners”.

(ii) The Treatment of other than Drug Dependent Persons

This applies to the following drugs of addiction:

any injectible drug of addiction
buprenorphine (except transdermal patches)
alprazolam (expected to be in force from 1 February 2014)
flunitrazepam
hydromorphone
methadone

Where a medical practitioner elects to continue treatment of a patient with

any of the above drugs of addiction for more than two months, an authority
must be obtained from the NSW Ministry of Health. (Refer C4 for
restrictions applying to prescribing by dentists).

Forms

Forms to be used to apply for an authority to prescribe drugs of addiction

are available from the Internet at:

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical

* A drug dependent person means a person who has acquired, as a result of repeated administration of:
(a) a drug of addiction, or
(b) a prohibited drug within the meaning of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985,
an overpowering desire for the continued administration of such a drug.
Section 27 - Poisons and Therapeutic Good Act 1966
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 or by contacting the Monitoring and Compliance Section, Pharmaceutical
Services during office hours on (02) 9424 5923.

On completion, the form along with any supporting documentation such as

a second opinion from a specialist should be faxed to the Monitoring and
Compliance Section, Pharmaceutical Services on (02) 9424 5889.

(iii) Psychostimulants (dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine and

methylphenidate)

The psychostimulants dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse®),

and methylphenidate (Concerta®, Ritalin®, Ritalin LA®,) may be
prescribed only:

(1) with the prior written authority of the NSW Ministry of Health, issued
following receipt of a written application. (Special application forms are
available for authority to prescribe stimulants for the treatment of Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – See “Forms” in (ii) above), or

(2) by prescribers approved by the NSW Ministry of Health for the

management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, provided that
criteria and conditions are met as described below:

(a) in order to prescribe psychostimulants for children and

adolescents for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the
criteria set down in the latest version of “Criteria for the Diagnosis
and Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in
Children and Adolescents” (TG181) must be met.
(b) in order to prescribe psychostimulants for adults for Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder, the criteria set down in the latest version of
“Criteria for the Diagnosis and Management of Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults” (TG190) must be met.

All prescriptions for psychostimulants must be endorsed with one of the

following:
(a) in the case of individual patient authorities as in (1) above-
“Ref. No. xxxxxxx-xx-xxxx” (i.e. unique number-month-year)
(b) in the case of dexamphetamine or methylphenidate prescribed by
approved prescribers as in (2) above-
"CNS xxxxxxxxx” (i.e. unique number), or
“S28c xxxxxxxxx” (unique number), as advised in approval letter.

NOTE: Prescribers are reminded that a prescription for the above drugs
cannot be dispensed by a pharmacist unless the prescription is endorsed
with one of these numbers. These requirements apply to all prescriptions
for psychostimulants irrespective of whether they are PBS or non-PBS
(private) prescriptions.

Please contact the Monitoring and Compliance Section, Pharmaceutical

Services on (02) 9424 5921 (for methadone or buprenorphine for the
treatment of opiate dependence) or (02) 9424 5923 (for other drugs of
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 addiction) for clarification of any authority requirements.

C7. Possession. Unauthorised possession of a drug of addiction is an offence.

Medical practitioners and dentists are authorised to be in possession of drugs of
addiction for the purpose of their occupation.

A person for whom a prescription for a drug of addiction has been issued by a
medical practitioner or dentist is also authorised to have possession to the extent
covered by the prescription(s).

C8. Destruction. A drug of addiction in the possession of a medical practitioner or

dentist for use in connection with their profession and which has become
unusable, may legally be destroyed:

(i) by a community (retail) pharmacist (in the presence of the medical practitioner
or dentist (“practitioner”), either at the pharmacy or the practitioner’s practice
premises) who must record the destruction in the practitioner’s drug register.
The entry must show the date, the name, professional registration number
and signature of the pharmacist and the name and signature of the
practitioner, if the drug was obtained under emergency supply from a
community pharmacist, or

(ii) by or under the direct personal supervision of a police officer, or by a person

authorised by the NSW Ministry of Health to do so, by contacting the Duty
Pharmaceutical Officer at Pharmaceutical Services on (02) 9391 9944 if the
drug was obtained by wholesale.

C9. Self-Administration of Drugs of Addiction. A medical practitioner or dentist

may not self-administer a drug of addiction other than for the purpose of
medical or dental treatment, respectively and only for a period of not more
than 7 days (unless they hold an authority to do so from the NSW Ministry of
Health or it is prescribed for them by another practitioner).

FURTHER INFORMATION
Further information and copies of the latest versions of the following brochures may be
obtained by contacting the Duty Pharmaceutical Officer during office hours on
(02) 9391 9944 or visiting the Pharmaceutical Services website at:
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical

TG12/25 Issue date: February 2014 Page 13 of 14

Title Document No.
Criteria for the Diagnosis and Management of Attention Deficit TG 190
Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults
Criteria for the Diagnosis and Management of Attention Deficit TG 181
Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents
Prescribing of Benzodiazepines Alprazolam and Flunitrazepam TG 204
* Recognising and Handling Patients Liable to Abuse TG 199
Benzodiazepines
Anabolic/Androgenic Steroids - Information for Medical Practitioners TG 197
Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Chronic Non-Cancer TG 202
Pain
Requirements for an Authority to Prescribe Drugs of Addiction under TG 212
Section 28 of the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act
Drugs of Addiction (Schedule 8) TG 13
Summary of Controls on the Prescribing and Handling of Drugs of TG 135
Dependence by Medical, Nurse and Midwife Practitioners
Schedule 4 Appendix D Drugs (“Prescribed restricted substances”) TG 14
* Recognising and Handling Drug Dependent Persons - Notes for TG 116A
Medical Practitioners
Criteria for Issuing Non-Handwritten (Computer Generated) TG 184
Prescriptions
* These guides are not published on the Internet. Contact Pharmaceutical Services for a copy.

This guide has been produced by:

Pharmaceutical Services Unit
Legal and Regulatory Services Branch
NSW Ministry of Health
Telephone (02) 9391 9944
Fax (02) 9424 5860
Email: pharmserv@doh.health.nsw.gov.au
Website: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical

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