On this page:
- Schedule 8 Substances
- Information Pack for Pharmacists
- The Poisons Control S8 Website
- S8 File Upload
- Information Sheets for Pharmacists
Schedule 8 Substances
The Schedule 8 and Restricted Schedule 4 Clinical Practice Guidelines 2nd edition published in the government Gazette on 30 April 2008. The prescribing and supply of Schedule 8 substances must conform with these Guidelines as required under section 31X of the Poisons and Dangerous Drugs Act.
| Document Title | Description |
|---|---|
| S8 and Restricted S4 Substances (Adobe PDF document - 527KB) | Policy and Clinical Practice Guidelines |
| Exemptions to S8 Guidelines January 2009 (Adobe PDF document - 305KB) | Exemptions |
Information Pack for Pharmacists
This information pack has been compiled to provide you with some background on pharmacy related legal references and requirements.
For further information, please contact the poisons inspectors on (08) 8922 7341 or the Pharmacy Board on (08) 8999 2865.
Download information pack components:
The Poisons Control S8 Website
The website enables pharmacists to:
- access the weekly updated Schedule 8 Contract List and
- upload Schedule 8 reports (S8 Files) to Poisons Control
Contract List
The S8 website enables pharmacists to access the weekly updated Contract List. The list combines both Top End and Alice Springs contracts and details the patients, contracting doctors and pharmacies.
If any of these patients present at your pharmacy with prescriptions for narcotics or benzodiazepines (flunitrazepam, temazepam, diazepam, nitrazepam, etc) from other prescribers, you are strongly advised to refer them back to their contracted doctor after notifying the other prescriber.
Please notify Poisons Control if there are any changes that need to be made to the contract list. We rely on general practitioners and community pharmacists for the accuracy of the contract list.
S8 File Upload
It is hoped that all pharmacies will voluntarily participate in using the Poisons Control S8 Website to upload S8 Files to allow for more timely receipt of this information.
Irrespective of whether or not your pharmacy uploads S8 Files, section 36(3) of the Poisons and Dangerous Drugs Act still requires a pharmacist to forward to the Chief Health Officer delegate (Chief Poisons Inspector) cancelled prescriptions or copies of the authority on which the supply occurs within 7 days of supply.
Information Sheets for Pharmacists
| Document Title | Published | No. |
|---|---|---|
| Guide to Downloading Contract List (Adobe PDF document - 87KB) | May 2009 | 300.2 |
| Guide to S8 File Upload (Adobe PDF document - 133KB) | May 2009 | 300.3 |
| Hints on using S8 Website for Pharmacists (Adobe PDF document - 41KB) | May 2009 | 300.4 |
| LOTS guide to Generating S8 Report (Adobe PDF document - 43KB) | May 2009 | 300.5 |
| Minfos guide to Generating S8 Report (Adobe PDF document - 39KB) | May 2009 | 300.6 |
| FRED Guide to Generating S8 Reports (Adobe PDF document - 36KB) | May 2009 | 300.7 |
| FAQ for Pharmacists (Adobe PDF document - 46KB) | May 2009 | 300.8 |
| Pharmacist Miscellaneous (Adobe PDF document - 42KB) | May 2009 | 300.9 |
| FRED and WINIFRED Guide To Saving S8 Report onto C: Drive (Adobe PDF document - 64KB) | Aug 2009 | 300.10 |
| Explanation Of Key Tasks - Pharmacy Specific | Aug 2009 | 323 |
Access the Poisons Control S8 Website
Storage and Transport
Businesses, organisations and health professionals producing/supplying Schedule 8 (Controlled Drugs) need to comply with the following code of practice: