This will depend on the circumstances and the Schedule 8 medicine you wish to prescribe or supply. These circumstances and medicines are listed on NSW requirements for approval to prescribe or supply Schedule 8 medicines.
You 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 SafeScript 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.
An approval to prescribe a Schedule 8 medicine is granted only after submission of an application via SafeScript NSW or via 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 medicine:
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.
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 advises against doctors initiating treatment (including prescribing) for themselves or immediate family members.
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.
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.
Nurse practitioners are not authorised under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation to prescribe or supply psychostimulant medicines.
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.