As 2025 comes to a close, I would like to acknowledge the many achievements and healthcare initiatives that have been made possible through your continued partnership during the year. This impact is only made possible through your shared commitment to advancing health equity, improving access, and delivering better outcomes for patients, their families, and the community at large. I look forward to further engaging with you in 2026 as we look to commence the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act in New South Wales and the changes that this may bring.

Following the events of the past week at Bondi Beach, I want to express my gratitude for the care and support that many of you have and will continue to provide in your local communities, and for your dedication and the professionalism in the work that you do during this difficult time. If you, your family or friends are affected by the tragic circumstances, please reach out for support. Resources are available on the NSW government and NSW Health websites.

Prescribing and dispensing medicines means balancing patient care and safety with the law.

Staying compliant is just as important as providing safe treatment.

A prescription must:

For Schedule 8 medicines, additional requirements apply when issuing computer-generated, printed and signed prescriptions and when including the details of medicine supply.

Note: In NSW, the legal requirements for prescribing and supplying prescription medicines are outlined in the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 and the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008.

Yes, but there are rules to follow.

In an emergency or urgent situation, prescribers can request pharmacists to dispense medicines via email, phone (verbal), or fax. The only exception is for a Schedule 8 (S8) medicine that is not a registered product under the ARTG.

The prescriber is required to issue a valid prescription within 24 hours of making this request. The only exception is for an image-based prescription in a public health facility. 

The prescription must be received by the pharmacist within 7 days; otherwise, they must notify the NSW Ministry of Health.

NSW Health has issued a temporary Authority allowing pharmacists to supply Schedule 4 medicines (excluding Schedule 4 Appendix D) without a prescription to residents affected by the recent bushfire disaster in six Local Government Areas - Central Coast, Mid Coast, Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook, Warrumbungle, and Dubbo. The conditions for supply are outlined in the Authority which is valid until 4 January 2026. 

Access to these Schedule 4 medicines is also supported by the PBS Continued Dispensing Emergency Measure Determination 2025 (No. 3) for affected patients only. More information on the PBS Continued Dispensing Arrangements is available here.  

Holiday periods often reduce prescriber availability, limiting access for patient prescriptions and for pharmacists' need to validate prescription details. 

In urgent situations, the following options are available for pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines and maintain continuity of care:

More information is available here.

Reduced opportunities for prescription validation during holidays or outside normal business hours can increase the likelihood of forged prescriptions being dispensed.

Pharmacists should be vigilant when dispensing S8 or S4D medicines, especially for new patients, unfamiliar prescribers, and larger quantities than permitted on the PBS. 

For tips on verifying a prescription, see here.

Healthdirect is a government-funded virtual care service that provides 24/7 access to trusted health information and advice. It connects consumers to timely, clinically appropriate services for urgent and unexpected health needs close to home, often avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits.

Practitioners can refer patients to healthdirect to support care outside of business hours. Patients can search for services directly via the Service Finder tool or be referred to one by a nurse through the healthdirect helpline. Ensure you keep your Service Finder listing current.

Did you know NSW Health offers free phone and online health coaching to NSW residents aged 16 years or older? Qualified health coaches are available to support people in setting and achieving their health goals. 

Resources are also available to help your patients keep alcohol consumption in check this Christmas, eat healthily, and look after their mental health.

Most vaccinations delivered in NSW community pharmacies continue to merely focus on influenza and COVID-19 primarily in adults only.

This narrow focus means that eligible patients are missing out on other important vaccines that pharmacist immunisers can administer as per the NSW Pharmacist Vaccination Standards.

We encourage pharmacists to proactively offer vaccination services to eligible patients and to make full use of the scope and skills they’ve worked hard to gain. Take every opportunity to start a conversation with patients about the full list of vaccines that you can administer. 

Patients should not be charged for vaccines provided under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) or if they are state-funded vaccines. Health Protection NSW has received reports from members of the public indicating that some community pharmacies are incorrectly charging for these vaccines.

Pharmacist immunisers administering NIP vaccines to people aged 5 years and over can claim reimbursement through the NIP Vaccinations in Pharmacy (NIPVIP) program rather than charging eligible patients.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment throughout the year. Your dedication to maintaining high standards in the provision of health and medicines helps protect NSW residents every day.

May this festive season bring peace, happiness, and time to celebrate with loved ones.

Please note that Pharmaceutical Services will be operating with reduced staffing during the period from 22 December to 12 January 2026.

The Pharmaceutical Services newsletter aims to keep you updated about your regulatory responsibilities as a NSW health practitioner or licence and authority holder.

To help us improve our service to you, we would appreciate it if you could take 2-4 minutes to complete our anonymous survey. Your feedback can shape the content and timing of our newsletter for future editions.

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NSW Ministry of Health

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work and live. We celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing cultures and connections to the lands and waters of NSW and pay our respects to Elders both past and present. 

health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical

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