Pharmaceutical Services
Pharmaceutical Services is responsible for the administration of the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act and Regulation, the development of policies and guidelines to complement the legislation, and the administration of the Highly Specialised Drugs Program for New South Wales.
Objectives
- To ensure that medicines are appropriately available to the public and are stored, distributed, prescribed and supplied in accordance with legislative requirements.
- To ensure that poisons (and other products that are potentially hazardous) are appropriately available to the public and are packed, labelled, stored, distributed and used in accordance with legislative requirements.
- To minimise harm from the use of medicines and poisons in the community through the development and implementation of appropriate policy, regulatory and educational initiatives.
- To promote the quality use of medicines in the community and health care facilities.
- To adopt best practice in regulation of medicines and poisons in NSW.
Functions
- Administration of the NSW Methadone/Buprenorphine program for the treatment of opioid dependent persons, including the approval of medical practitioners to prescribe for individual patients.
- Administration of the Pharmacy Incentive Scheme to authorise payment for pharmacists who participate in the NSW Methadone/Buprenorphine program.
- Issuing authorities to medical practitioners to prescribe narcotic drugs for chronic pain.
- Issuing authorities to prescribe stimulant drugs for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
- Licensing of pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers, methadone clinics, private health facilities and rural retailers of pharmacy-only medicines.
- Investigating the alleged illegal, inappropriate or unprofessional supply, administration or prescribing of medicines and poisons.
- Investigating the alleged self-administration of drugs for non-medical reasons by health professionals (medical practitioners, dentists, nurses and pharmacists).
- Inspecting to ensure compliance with Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation and for the purpose of assessing licence applications.
- Providing secretarial and administrative support for Statutory Committees (Poisons Advisory Committee and the Medical Committee).
- Administering the Highly Specialised Drugs Program for New South Wales.
- Development of amendments to the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation.
- Development of policy and guidelines to complement Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation.
- Representation on national committees, including the National Coordinating Committee on Therapeutic Goods, the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee and the Highly Specialised Drugs Working Party.