Consultation arrangements for 
Draft Medicines and Poisons Regulation 2006

In January 2001 the National Competition Review of Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Legislation Report, more generally known as the Galbally Review, was submitted to the Australian Health Minister’s Conference.  The Galbally Review contained 27 recommendations, including the adoption by jurisdictions of schedules of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (the SUSDP).

In the ACT medicines and poisons are currently regulated under a number of different Acts, such as the Poisons Act 1933, the Poisons and Drugs Act 1978 and the Drugs of Dependence Act 1989.  Over time aspects of these Acts and supporting Regulations have become inconsistent, aspects of their application become unclear, or simply become out of date. The Medicines and Poisons Bill 2006 (the Bill) aims to give effect to the recommendations in the Galbally Review, and in doing so will consolidate the law relating to medicines and poisons by repealing and replacing all or parts of a number of existing pieces of legislation. 

Further information about the Medicines and Poisons Bill 2006, together with an exposure draft of the Bill itself, can be accessed through the following link: http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ed/db_27831/default.asp

To support the Bill detailed regulations have been developed that contain the authorisations necessary to maintain the status quo in regard to most medicines and poisons.  The Government is committed to ensuring that interested and affected stakeholder groups are provided with sufficient opportunity to review and make submissions on all of the proposed legislative framework for medicines and poisons.  Accordingly, an Exposure Draft of the Medicines and Poisons Regulation 2007 (the Regulation) has been released.

The Regulation will ensure that health professionals will still be able to prescribe, administer and dispense medicines as they can lawfully do at present.  The Regulation also contains more substantive detail, specific requirements, or conditions for a range of activities and obligations contained within the Bill.  Some provisions of the Regulation prescribe additional information required for licences or registrations, whereas other impose statutory licence conditions.  Other provisions of the Regulation specify requirements for activities such as labelling or packaging.  

The Exposure Draft of the Medicines and Poisons Regulation 2007 can be accessed on the ACT Government Legislation Register (http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/) or through the Health Protection Service within ACT Health.  

Contact:  Enquires about the proposed legislation can be made to either Ms Jane Strang on 02-6205-0961 or by email to jane.strang@act.gov.au, or Mr Brett Purdue on 02-6205-1010 or by email to brett.purdue@act.gov.au .

Submissions:  Submissions should be forwarded to the Director, Health Protection Service, ACT Health, Locked Bag 5, Weston Creek, ACT 2611 by close of business Monday, 26 March 2007.