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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3870 ..

2

This Bill amends the Poisons and Drugs Act 1978.

The Act adopts by reference schedules 1 to 8 of poisons and drugs from the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons. The Act also sets out labelling and packaging requirements for all scheduled substances.

The Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons is prepared and published under the auspices of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council. The Standard lists drugs and poisons in schedules according to their use, potential for abuse, safety in use and the need for the substance.

In 1994 AHMAC endorsed the agreement reached between the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee, a committee of AHMAC, and industry about changes to labelling of scheduled drugs and poisons to effect harmonisation with New Zealand.

The latest Standard incorporates the new harmonised labelling requirements as well as the current requirements.

So it is timely to amend the Act to enable adoption by reference of those parts of the Standard that refer to labelling and packaging of drugs and poisons.

This will ensure that the ACT fulfils its commitment to the harmonisation of labelling and packaging requirements for drugs and poisons throughout Australia and New Zealand.

All states have made a commitment to the new harmonised labelling requirements, and all states have amended or are amending their legislation to incorporate these changes.

The Bill also amends the Act to reflect the updated clause numbering system used in the Standard with regard to scheduled substances. This is because the current numbering system is different to that used in 1993 when the schedules of drugs and poisons in the Standard were adopted by reference.

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