The Territory Government will always look at new ways to make getting access to essential medicines easier.
Today in Parliament the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 has passed.
The purpose of this Bill is to address legislative barriers to the supply and regulation of scheduled substances to reflect modern practice and be more agile to meet clinical needs, especially in our regional and remote areas.
It is important that we stay up to date with our regulation of medicine. One aspect of this bill is allowing suitable community organisations to provide lifesaving overdose medications to clients.
This Bill also creates greater provisions for other suitably trained and qualified people working in health services, such as pharmacists to appropriately supply medicines where they are the ones best placed to do so, by modernising the administration of Scheduled Substance Treatment Protocols.
The Bill creates a legal framework to ensure Territorians can have safe and continuous access to medicines in an emergency, such as cyclone or flood.
The application of Commonwealth laws on the safety and quality of therapeutic goods such as nicotine vaping products will be enabled to apply within the NT to persons, not just businesses.
Quotes from Chief Minister and Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles:
“The Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 modernises the way medicines are supplied, giving suitable services the ability to supply life-saving medications to prevent overdoses.
“Suitable health workers will be enabled to supply essential medicines by clinically approved protocols.
“We are ensuring that medicines can be supplied and given to Territorians in a timely manner, wherever there is a clinical need – as we saw with covid vaccinations.
“This Bill will also further regulate the supply of nicotine vaping products.”
Northern Territory Government
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