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 Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) 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 OTP.
• Issuing authorities to medical practitioners to prescribe Schedule 8 opioids for chronic pain.
• Issuing authorities to prescribe stimulant drugs for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
• Licensing of pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers, and OTP clinics.
• 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).
• 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 Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling, the Advisory Committee on Chemicals Scheduling.