The Secretary of the Department of Health may make decisions on the scheduling of medicines or chemicals, as well as changes to other parts and appendices of the Poisons Standard, by exercising powers under Sections 52D, 52E and 52EAA of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (CTH), in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990 as well as any additional guidelines, including this document.
In practice, decisions are usually made by 'the Delegate', a person to whom the Secretary has delegated decision-making responsibility, being a person holding an appropriate position within a relevant area of the Department of Health, or other Government agency.
Proactive identification and review of substance
The Secretary may establish a working party drawn from relevant state and territory departments and other stakeholders to consider substances or groups of substances for potential rescheduling on the basis there might be a public health benefit if they were down-scheduled or up-scheduled.
