Dispensing Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines

Legal requirements in NSW

A pharmacist cannot lawfully dispense a prescription for a Schedule 8 (S8) psychostimulant medicine (dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methylphenidate) unless:

it is a valid Schedule 8 prescription, and
it includes the NSW Health approval number issued by the NSW Health to the prescriber.

Exemptions apply and are listed below.

Note: A NSW Health approval is an authorisation under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966. This approval is not the same as a PBS authority which allows access to a medicine at a subsidised cost.

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NSW Health approval numbers

NSW Health approval numbers may appear in the following formats:

CA2023 - Used by psychiatrists, paediatricians and neurologists prescribing under the conditions of the NSW Health class authority
Axxxxxx or AUxxxxxx - A unique number that may be specific for a prescriber or specific for a patient.
CNSxxxxxx or S28cxxxxxx - A unique approval number previously issued to a prescriber under an older authorisation framework.
GACPxxxxxx - A unique approval number issued to a continuation GP prescriber.
GAEPxxxxxx - A unique approval number issued to an endorsed GP prescriber.

Pharmacists are not required to check, or verify, that the approval number on a prescription is valid.

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Exemptions - when a NSW Health approval is not required

1. Covering another prescriber temporarily

A medical practitioner may prescribe a S8 psychostimulant medicine on behalf of another medical practitioner who holds an individual patient approval, as long as both practitioners practice at the same premises.

2. Hospital inpatients

NSW Health approval is not required if the patient:

was prescribed the medicine under NSW Health approval prior to admission, or
is an inpatient, and the medicine is prescribed for up to 14 days following admission.

In these cases, an approval number does not need to be included on a prescription or inpatient medication chart.

If the treatment continues beyond 14 days and there is no prior approval, the hospital medical prescriber must obtain NSW Health approval. On discharge, the patient's hospital prescriber is responsible for ensuring continuity of care.

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Pharmacist responsibilities

When dispensing a prescription for an S8 psychostimulant medicine, a pharmacist needs to:

ensure the prescription is valid and includes all required information for an S8 prescription, including the NSW Health approval number (unless an exemption exists)
comply with the requirements for S8 medicines and the Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines for the dispensing of medicines.

Pharmacists are encouraged to check SafeScript NSW to support clinical decision-making and patient safety.

For guidance on managing prescriptions that cannot be verified, or that appear forged, altered, or fraudulently obtained, see Lost, stolen or forged prescriptions.

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