The Pharmaceutical Services Unit (PSU) is reminding pharmacists of the legislative requirements for dispensing Schedule 8 prescriptions for psychostimulant medicines such as dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate.
Essential requirements
Approval numbers
A prescription for a psychostimulant medicine such as dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate must be annotated with a NSW Ministry of Health approval number to make it valid for dispensing. For electronic prescriptions, this number must be included in the electronic prescription details. The approval number formats are:
-
CA2023: used by AHPRA registered psychiatrists, paediatricians, and neurologists prescribing under the
Conditions of a Class Authority. This includes AHPRA registered specialists from other states and territories in Australia.
-
Axxxxxxx OR AU xxxxxx: unique number specific to a prescriber or a patient.
-
CNSxxxxxxx OR S28cxxxxxxx: unique prescriber approval previously issued by the NSW Ministry of Health.
It was previously communicated that prescriptions bearing a CNS or S28c approval number were valid for dispensing until 30 June 2024, unless expired. However, to support patient access to these medicines and prevent unnecessary burden on pharmacists and prescribers, prescriptions annotated with
CNS or S28c approval numbers will continue to remain valid for dispensing, unless they are expired or cancelled.
How prescribers can apply for an approval number
Prescribers can apply for a NSW Ministry of Health approval number online via the
SafeScript NSW website or by submitting the
application form to the PSU.
Hospital inpatients
The requirement for approval numbers does not apply to hospital patients unless the patient has been admitted for more than 14 days.
Pharmacist responsibilities
When dispensing a prescription, pharmacists need to:
If a prescription appears forged, altered or fraudulently obtained, pharmacists must not dispense it. Instead, pharmacists should:
- retain the prescription
- notify the police by contacting their local police station
- notify the PSU by submitting a
notification form.
View previously
reported lost, stolen and forged prescriptions.
Important information
*Pharmacists are not expected to verify the approval number's validity or that a prescription has been issued in compliance with the conditions of the
Class Authority.
^The legitimacy of a prescription can be verified if the pharmacist knows the patient or the prescriber, recognises the prescriber's handwriting from other prescriptions, or contacts the prescriber directly.
