Which organisation determines schedules for medicines

These Conventions are organised around two core imperatives — one that is restrictive in nature, and aims to limit access to controlled drugs and to prevent their manufacture, distribution and possession for pleasure, recreation and entertainment; the other is enabling in nature, and aims to ensure the availability of controlled drugs for medical and scientific purposes.

The art of good drug control, within the parameters set by the Conventions, is to find an appropriate, humane and effective balance between these twin objectives. Historically, however, it has been the repressive pole that has been prioritised, though present debates are increasingly highlighting the need to modify the balance of the system in order to affirm the importance of the principle of health.

The scheduling of new substances and proposed changes to the classification of others already scheduled are, in addition to the technical issues involved, providing new contexts for the airing of these wider issues.

Moreover, the emergence of multiple new forms of drugs and intoxicants in the shape of New Psychoactive Substances NPS has introduced an unprecedented urgency into the problems of scheduling, with many states parties perceiving themselves to be under siege, and finding the current process too slow and too cumbersome to respond to a fast-moving recreational drugs market and the technological developments underpinning it.

The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of , as amended by the Protocol, and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of both possess provisional scheduling measures, which can in theory be initiated in order to meet urgent problems, and which permit controls to be applied pending assessment by the World Health Organisation WHO. The Single Convention allows for both discretionary and mandatory provisional controls to be applied, while the Psychotropics Convention allows only discretionary scheduling, which countries can decide not to apply.

At the Commission on Narcotic Drugs CND or Commission , the UK initiated provisional controls under the Psychotropics Convention in respect of mephedrone, citing widespread illicit use and the success of its domestic controls as the primary reasons for doing so. Lastly, WHO recommendation to add certain preparations of dronabinol to Schedule III of the Convention : As the Commission had predetermined in a procedural decision, adopted at the beginning of the meeting, this recommendation was deemed rejected, due to the rejection of the recommendation to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers delta tetrahydrocannabinol to Schedule I of the Convention.

Press statement on the voting. Webstory on the voting. Explanations of vote of Commission members and statements of Member States. Decision tree depicting conditionalities included in the WHO recommendations. United Nations. Office on Drugs and Crime. Site Search. Some medicines have a higher risk of causing harm than others. Also, some medicines are more likely to be misused, such as medicines that can cause dependence or addiction. Some poisons are so dangerous that they are not to be used at all.

Each category has different rules for how a medicine or poison should be labelled, sold, bought, stored and thrown away. These categories also tell you if you need a prescription to buy a certain medicine. A specific medicine will fall into the same category across all Australian states and territories.

Medicines are usually in Schedules 2, 3, 4 or 8. Pharmacist only medicine — Medicines that are available from a pharmacist without a prescription. These medicines are usually behind the pharmacy counter. Prescription only medicine — Medicines which must be prescribed by an authorised healthcare professional such as your doctor. They may be supplied in hospital or bought from a pharmacy with a prescription. Caution — Chemicals which are not likely to cause harm. They need suitable packaging with simple warnings and safety directions on the label.

Poison — Chemicals with a moderate risk of causing harm. They need special packaging with a strong warning and safety directions on the label. Dangerous poison — Chemicals with a high risk of causing harm in low doses. They are only available to certain people who are able to handle them safely. There may be special rules for selling, using or storing these chemicals.

Controlled drug — Medicines or chemicals which have special rules for producing, supplying, distributing, owning and using them. These medicines may only be prescribed by an authorised healthcare professional who may need a special prescribing permit. Prohibited substance — Chemicals which may be abused or misused. They are illegal to produce, own, sell or use except if needed for medical or scientific research.