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  1. Prescribing a Schedule 8 (S8) medicine
    1. Do I need an approval from the NSW Ministry of Health to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 medicine?
    3. How do I apply for an approval to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 medicine for long term chronic pain management?​
    4. Can I get an approval to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 medicine over the phone?
    5. I am goin​g to be away from my practice for several weeks. What happens to the patients for whom I have a NSW Ministry of Health approval to prescribe a Schedule 8 medicine?
    6. SafeScript NSW shows that my patient has an approval issued to them by a prescriber from a different practice. What do I do if I  want to continue with care and the prescribing of this medicine to this patient?
    7. Can a doctor self-prescribe Schedule 8 medicines, or prescribe Schedule 8 medicines for a family member?
  2. Prescribing a Schedule 8 (S8) psychostimulant medicine
    1. My patient’s psychiatrist has sent me a letter asking me to continue prescribing the S8 psychostimulant which they have been prescribing to a patient. The letter states that they authorise me to do so. Can I prescribe it?
    2. Can a general practitioner prescribe or supply Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines?
    3. Can a nurse practitioner prescribe or supply Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines?​
    4. I'm a trainee in a medical specialty. Can I prescribe psychostimulant medicines to patients in outpatient clinics without approval/authority?​

Prescribing a Schedule 8 (S8) medicine

​Do I need an approval from the NSW Ministry of Health to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 medicine?​

This will depend on the S8 medicine you wish to prescribe or supply, and the circumstances as listed below.​

The legal requirements for an approval* to prescribe drugs of addiction in NSW are available at NSW legal requirements for an authority to prescribe drugs of addiction. A summary is provided below.

An approval from the NSW Ministry of Health (issued by the Pharmaceutical Services Unit) is required prior to the supply or prescription for:

  • any Schedule 8 medicine to a drug dependent patient
  • psychostimulant medicines dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate (see Prescribe a psychostimulant medication for further information)
  • any of the medicines listed below when continuing treatment for a non-drug dependent person for a period longer than 2 months:
    • any Schedule 8 medicine in injectable form​
    • any Schedule 8 medicine for intranasal use, or for spray or application to mucous membranes
    • alprazolam
    • flunitrazepam
    • hydromorphone
    • buprenorphine (except transdermal preparations)
    • methadone
  • extemporaneously compounded Schedule 8 medicines (including cannabis)
  • psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression
  • MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Further information on how to apply for approval, see Application forms for approval to prescribe or supply.

It is important to note that an approval from the NSW Ministry of Health is distinct from, and independent of, an authority from Services Australia which is for the purposes of a subsidy under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

*An approval is a reference to an authority under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966.

​How do I apply for an approval to prescribe a Schedule 8 medicine​ for long term chronic pain management?

Yo​u need to first check if an approval is required for that medicine by viewing the webpage Prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 medicine for pain or a Schedule 8 benzodiazepine.

Applications can be submitted online via S​​afeSc​ript NSW​. Alternatively, an application form may be completed and forwarded to the Pharmaceutical Services Unit, NSW Ministry of Health. For application forms see Application forms for approval to prescribe or supply.

Can I get an approval to prescribe a Schedule 8 medicine over the phone?

An approval to prescribe a Schedule 8 medicine is granted only after a submission of an application via SafeScript NSW​ or via a submitted application form to the NSW Ministry of Health (Pharmaceutical Services Unit). For more information see Application forms for approval to prescribe or supply.

I am going to be away from my practice for several weeks. What happens to the patients for whom I have a NSW Ministry of Health approval to prescribe a Schedule 8 medicine?

If you are planning to go on leave the following options should be considered for your patient to continue taking the Schedule 8 (S8) medicine:

  • ​​write a prescription that will provide enough medication until their next appointment after your return, or
  • your locum or a practice partner may prescribe the S8 medicine to the patient if it is therapeutically necessary, under the conditions of your NSW Ministry of Health S8 approval. They should only prescribe enough medicine to last until the patient’s next appointment with you, or
  • if you are going to be absent for an extended period, you should consider cancelling your NSW Ministry of Health approval(s) to prescribe S8 medicines. You should advise the locum medical practitioner or practice partner that they will need to apply for approval to prescribe or supply these. You should also advise your patients affected that the doctor who will manage them in your absence will be required to apply to NSW Ministry of Health for an approval to prescribe these medicines to them.

​​Sa​feScript ​NSW shows that my patient has an approval issued to them by a prescriber from a different practice. What do I do if I want to continue with care and the prescribing of this medicine to this patient?

If you want to prescribe a medicine to your patient and notice that SafeScript NSW shows an approval issued to another prescriber, you will need to contact this prescriber to discuss the care of the patient. SafeScript NSW will prompt you with an alert and not allow you to progress with your application unless the initial prescriber exits/cancels the approval for you to take over. You will then be able to apply for an authority to prescribe the medicine.
You need to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for patient care to avoid duplication of treatment and issue of prescriptions by different prescribers for the same monitored medicine.

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​Can a doctor self-prescribe Schedule 8 medicines, or prescribe Schedule 8 medicines for a family member?​

The Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation prohibits a medical practitioner from self-administering any unregistered Schedule 8 medicine.

A medical practitioner can only self-administer a registered Schedule 8 medicine in an emergency, for up to 7 days. An approval from the NSW Ministry of Health is required for treatment outside these conditions.

The Medical Council of NSW Guideline for self-treatment and treating family members​ states that it is not advisable for doctors to initiate treatment (including prescribing) for themselves or immediate family members. ​

Prescribing a Sch​edule 8 (S8) psychostimulant medicine

My patient’s psychiatrist has sent me a letter asking me to continue prescribing the S8 psychostimulant which they have been prescribing to a patient. The letter states that they authorise me to do so. Can I prescribe it?

Approvals to prescribe S8 medicines are not transferable. General practitioners and other registered medical practitioners are required to apply for individual patient approval to prescribe a psychostimulant medicine to a patient for any indication. In most cases these applications will only be approved where the applicant is in a patient co-management or transfer of care arrangement with a relevant medical specialist. For further information, see How to apply for an authority/approval to prescribe a psychostimulant medicine.

Can a general practitioner prescribe Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines?

General practitioners and other registered medical practitioners are required to apply for individual patient approval to prescribe a psychostimulant medicine (e.g. methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine) to a patient for any indication. In most cases these applications will only be approved where the applicant is in a patient co-management or transfer of care arrangement with a relevant medical specialist. 

Patients who may require Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines should be referred to an appropriate specialist for assessment.

For more information see Prescribe a psychostimulant medicine​.​

​Can a nurse practitioner prescribe Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines?

Nurse practitioners are not authorised under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation to prescribe or supply psychostimulant medicines.

Patients who may require Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines should be referred to an appropriate specialist for assessment.

​I'm a trainee in a medical specialty. Can I prescribe psychostimulant medicines to patients in outpatient clinics without approval/authority?

Advanced trainees in medical specialities such as paediatrics or psychiatry are required to apply for individual patient authority/approval to prescribe a psychostimulant medicine. In most cases these applications will be approved when the trainee is co-managing the patient with a relevant medical specialist. 

For more information see Prescribe a psychostimulant medicine​.​

Current as at: Thursday 28 March 2024
Contact page owner: Pharmaceutical Services