​Schedule 8 medicines are subject to strict legislative controls due to their high potential for misuse, abuse and dependence.  

The most commonly used Schedule 8 medicines include analgesics such as opioids (for example, morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, tapentadol, hydromorphone, methadone and buprenorphine). The benzodiazepines flunitrazepam and alprazolam are also included in Schedule 8 due to evidence of illicit use and risk of dependence. 
Note: Schedule 8 medicines are also known as drugs of addiction, drugs of dependence, or controlled drugs.
 
​The following table lists examples of Schedule 8 medicines. For an exhaustive list of Schedule 8 medicines refer to The Poisons Standard (SUSMP).

 

​Generic name
Common brand names
alfentanilRapifen®
alprazolam Kalma®, Alprax®
amobarbital1 (amylobarbitone)Amytal®
amfetamine (amphetamine)
buprenorphine Norspan®, Suboxone®, Temgesic®
butorphanolTorbugesic®, Dolorex®, Butorgesic®
cannabis2
cocaine
codeine3Codeine Linctus®, Codeine Phos Tablets®
dexamfetamine (dexamphetamine)
dextropropoxyphene4
dihydrocodeine5
diphenoxylate6
dronabinol7
fentanyl Actiq®, Denpax®, Durogesic®, Fenpatch®
flunitrazepam Hypnodorm®
hydromorphone Dilaudid®, Jurnista®
ketamine Ketalar®, Ketamil®, Ketavet®, Ketamav®
​(N, α dimethyl 3,4 (methylenedioxy)phenylethylamine)8
lisdexamfetamine Vyvanse®
methadone Biodone Forte®, Physeptone®, Methadone®
methylamfetamine (methylamphetamine)
methylphenidate Concerta®, Ritalin®
morphine Kapanol®, MS Contin®, Ordine®
nabilone
nabiximols9 Sativex®
opium10
oxycodone Endone®, Oxycontin®, Oxynorm®, Targin®
pentobarbital11 (pentobarbitone)
pethidine
pholcodine12
​psilocybine13
quinalbarbitone (secobarbital)
remifentanil Ultiva®
secobarbital (secobarbitone,quinalbarbitone)
sodium oxybate14
tapentadol Palexia®
tetrahydrocannabinols15
  1. except when included in schedule 4
  2. (including seeds, extracts, resins and the plant, and any part of the plant) when prepared or packed for human therapeutic use, when:
    1. cultivated or produced, or in products manufactured, in accordance with the narcotic drugs act 1967; and/or
    2. for use in products manufactured in accordance with the narcotic drugs act 1967; and/or
    3. imported as therapeutic goods, or for use in therapeutic goods, for supply, in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989; and/or
    4. in therapeutic goods supplied in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989,
      except when:
      1. it is a product to which item 4, 8, 10, 11 or 12 of schedule 5a to the therapeutic goods regulations 1990 applies; or
      2. separately specified in schedule 4; or
      3. separately specified in the nabiximols entry in this schedule; or
      4. in hemp seed oil for purposes other than internal human therapeutic use containing 50 mg/kg or less of cannabinoids
  3. except when included in schedule 2, 3 or 4
  4. except when included in schedule 4
  5. except when included in schedule 2, 3 or 4
  6. except when included in schedule 3 or 4
  7. (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) when prepared and packed for therapeutic use
  8. in preparations for human therapeutic use for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder when:

     

    1. prescribed, or its supply is authorised, by a medical practitioner: 
      1. registered as a specialist psychiatrist under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law; 
      2. for whom an authority under the TGA Authorised Prescriber Scheme that covers MDMA is in force
  9. (botanical extract of cannabis sativa which includes the following cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabinols, cannabidiol, cannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiolic acid, tetrahydrocannabinolic acids, tetrahydrocannabivarol, and cannabidivarol, where tetrahydrocannabinols and cannabidiol (in approximately equal proportions) comprise not less than 90 per cent of the total cannabinoid content) in a buccal spray for human therapeutic use
  10. except the alkaloids noscapine in schedule 2 and papaverine when included in schedule 2 or 4
  11. except when included in schedule 4
  12. except when included in schedule 2 or 4
  13.  in preparations for human therapeutic use for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression, when:
     
    1. prescribed, or its supply is authorised, by a medical practitioner: 
      1. registered as a specialist psychiatrist under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law; and
      2. for whom an authority under the TGA Authorised Prescriber Scheme that covers psilocybine is in force
  14. for human therapeutic use
  15. when extracted from cannabis for human therapeutic use, when:
    1. included in products manufactured in accordance with the narcotic drugs act 1967; and/or
    2. imported as therapeutic goods, or for use in therapeutic goods, for supply, in accordance with the therapeutic goods act 1989; and/or
    3. in therapeutic goods supplied in accordance with the therapeutic goods act 1989,
      except when:
      1. it is in a product to which item 4, 8, 10, 11 or 12 of schedule 5a to the therapeutic goods regulations 1990 applies; or
      2. in hemp seed oil, containing 50 mg/kg or less of tetrahydrocannabinols when labelled with either of the following warning statements:
        1. not for internal use; or
        2. not to be taken; or
      3. in products for purposes other than for internal human use containing 50 mg/kg or less of tetrahydrocannabinols or
      4. separately specified in the nabiximols entry in this schedule

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Current as at: Thursday 5 September 2024
Contact page owner: Pharmaceutical Services