Updated medicines regulations confirmed

The Medicines Regulations 1984 and the Medicines (Standing Order) Regulations 2002, have been amended to better align the law with modern medical practice.  

Health Minister Tony Ryall says "The amendments remove many requirements that are unnecessary, ineffective or excessively costly."

The updated regulations:

• allow some fluoride toothpastes, anti-dandruff shampoos and anti-pimple creams commonly sold in supermarkets to no longer be treated as medicines

• include changes to the labelling and advertising requirements for medicines and related products to bring them into line with those of other countries, particularly Australia

• align prescribing rights for doctors, dentists and midwives by restricting prescribing to their respective scope of practice and removing the ten day limit on the period of supply for prescription medicines issued by dentists

• allow pharmacists to substitute an alternative brand of a medicine in certain circumstances

• update technical requirements (including how data sheets are prepared and distributed, and how prescriptions are dispensed)

• remove some of the barriers to bringing electronic prescribing closer to reality by allowing the Director General of Health to issue a waiver to permit electronic prescribing in specified situations

• allow the sale of “general sale” medicines through vending machines such as some cough and cold remedies and medicines to treat travel sickness, which are already sold by a wide range of shops such as supermarkets, dairies, petrol stations and mixed-merchandise stores.

The Government has also agreed to make amendments to the Medicines Act covering prescribing, to do two things:

• Align prescribing rights of all health professionals with independent prescribing rights - medical practitioners, dentists, midwives, nurse practitioners and optometrists – and require them to prescribe within their scopes of practice for patients under their care
• Create a new category of prescriber – a delegated prescriber - under the supervision of an independent prescriber, allowing highly trained health professionals in a collaborative team environment and under supervision, to prescribe within their scope of practice, for a specific group of patients.