Prescribing Medication

Prescribing Medication

When treating patients with Schedule 4 medications, it is required that Cosmetic Nurses do so under the guidance and direction of a Medical Doctor or Nurse Practitioner. Make sure you are aware of the arrangements within your practice to ensure you are treating patients within the legal parameters.

Each State and Territory has its own laws that determine where consumers can buy a particular medicine or poison, and how it is to be packaged and labelled. However, State and Territory Governments classify the vast majority of medicines and poisons in accordance with the Poisons Standards (also known as the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons or (SUSMP) to achieve a uniform national approach to the scheduling of substances and uniform labelling and packaging requirements.

The Poisons Standard contains the decisions of the Secretary to the Department of Health, or a delegate, regarding the classification of medicines and poisons into Schedules.

The implementation of the Poisons Standard, as it affects access to and supply of medicines and poisons, is given legal effect through relevant State and Territory drugs, poisons and controlled substances legislation.