From 1 August 2016 there will be changes to restrictions on unregistered schedule 8 medicines.

Under these changes, prior written authority from the Secretary of NSW Health will generally be required to prescribe or supply a compounded or other unregistered Schedule 8 medicine.

This means that a pharmacist will be able to compound or dispense an unregistered Schedule 8 product only on receipt of a hard copy written prescription bearing the NSW authority number written by the prescriber. There will be a small number of substances exempted from this requirement.

For further information:

• refer to the NSW Health website; or 
• contact the Chief Pharmacist Unit, NSW Health by email at pharmserv@doh.health.nsw.gov.au or by phone on (02) 9391 9944.