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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1429 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

The key element of the system which controls drugs and poisons in the territory is the standard for the uniform scheduling of drugs and poisons, which is currently prepared and published under the auspices of the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council, AHMAC. The standard is the recommendation of the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee regarding the classification of drugs and poisons into schedules for inclusion in the relevant poisons legislation of the states and territories. This facilitates uniform scheduling of drugs and poisons throughout Australia.

Following amendments to the Commonwealth Therapeutic Goods Act and the therapeutic goods regulations last year, the operations of the committee have been transferred to the new statutory committee. The first standard published under the new arrangements will come into effect on 1 July 2000. To achieve harmonisation throughout Australia, all states and territories gave an undertaking to amend their poisons legislation by 1 July this year to ensure a smooth transition to the updated standard prepared under the new arrangements.

With the first standard prepared under the new arrangements in effect from 1 July, inclusion of a definition of the standard in the Poisons Act to coincide with this date is appropriate and timely. In addition, the opportunity has been taken to make a number of minor amendments to the Poisons and Drugs Act and regulations and the Poisons Act and regulations. These would bring the law into line with existing practice, especially as affected by the widespread computerisation of the pharmacy industry.

For example, computer-generated labels for dispensed medicine are in use throughout Australia. Some dispensed medicines should carry the warning: "This medication may cause drowsiness and may increase the effects of alcohol. If affected, do not drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery." Pharmacists in the ACT already use these warning labels. Amendments to the poisons regulations will bring the legislation into line with current dispensing practice.

Another example is that labels will carry the initials of the pharmacist dispensing the medicine-especially important in large and busy pharmacies where more than one pharmacist is working. The scope of the regulation-making power has also been clarified in relation to computerised records for the manufacture, sale or distribution of poisons and poisonous substances.

Changes have also been made to bring the language of these laws into line with everyday language. Provisions which are obsolete or duplicate unnecessarily other laws would also be repealed. Simplification and tidying measures made possible by the Interpretation Act and Subordinate Laws Act have also been implemented.

These amendments do not change the substantive law of the acts and regulations and have been made to bring them up to date for reprint purposes. Amending the acts and regulations will ensure that the ACT poisons legislation remains up to date and will assist in fulfilling the territory's continuing commitment to the harmonisation of such legislation between the states and territories.

Debate (on motion by Mr Stanhope ) adjourned.

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