The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.
Scheduling is a national classification system that controls how medicines and chemicals are made available to the public. Medicines and chemicals are classified into Schedules according to the level of regulatory control over the availability of the medicine or chemical required to protect public health and safety.
The Schedules are
| Schedule 1 | Not currently in use |
|---|---|
| Schedule 2 | Pharmacy Medicine |
| Schedule 3 | Pharmacist Only Medicine |
| Schedule 4 | Prescription Only Medicine OR Prescription Animal Remedy |
| Schedule 5 | Caution |
| Schedule 6 | Poison |
| Schedule 7 | Dangerous Poison |
| Schedule 8 | Controlled Drug |
| Schedule 9 | Prohibited Substance |
| Schedule 10 | Substances of such danger to health as to warrant prohibition of sale, supply and use |
The Schedules are published in the Poisons Standard and are given legal effect through state and territory legislation. The Poisons Standard is also referred to as the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP).