Role of the ACMS
The ACMS was established to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health (or delegate) on the level of access required for medicines and in some instances chemicals.
Under revised scheduling arrangements, which took effect on 1 July 2010, the Secretary to the Department of Health (Health) (or the Secretary's delegate) superseded the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) as the decision maker for the scheduling of medicines and chemicals.
Scheduling is a classification system that controls how medicines and chemicals are made accessible to consumers based on the substances contained within them. Substances are grouped into Schedules according to the appropriate level of regulatory control over their availability (e.g. Schedule 4 - medicines available only by prescription; Schedule 2 - medicines available over the counter in pharmacies).
Committee membership
The current membership of the committee can be found on our ACMS members page.
Proposed meeting dates and decisions timeframes
Stakeholders should note that the timetable outlines the anticipated administrative timeframes associated with matters seen by the advisory committee. This timetable also reflects public consultation timeframes as required by legislation.
Joint meetings
The Secretary of the Department of Health (or delegate) may refer an application or proposal to amend the Poisons Standard to the ACMS, the Advisory Committee on Chemicals Scheduling (ACCS) or to a joint sitting both of committees.
Where matters of interest to both committees are identified, including any proposals that relate to substances that may have a human therapeutic use (including as an excipient) as well as a non-human therapeutic use, the proposals may be referred to a joint meeting to the ACMS and ACCS.
Details outlining the procedures for joint meetings are in Division 3C of Part 6 of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990. A recommendation arising from a joint meeting is a recommendation to the Secretary from each advisory committee.
For details go to Joint ACMS-ACCS meetings.
Delegate-only decisions
From time to time the delegate may make a scheduling decision without referring the change to the committee for advice.
The delegate-only scheduling decisions are available at Scheduling decisions (final).
Contact details for the ACMS
| ACMS enquiries | Committee support enquiries | |
|---|---|---|
| medicines.scheduling@health.gov.au | Committees@health.gov.au | |
| Phone | 1800 020 653 | |
| Postal Address | Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling Therapeutic Goods Administration PO Box 100 WODEN ACT 2606 Attn: Scheduling and Chemicals Policy Section, MDP 122 |
Committee Support Unit Therapeutic Goods Administration PO Box 100 WODEN ACT 2606 Attn: Collaboration Services Section, MDP 122 |
Outcomes
- Scheduling submissionsPublic submissions on interim decisions for scheduling matters referred to the ACMS #40, ACCS #35 and Joint ACMS-ACCS #32Public submissions on interim decisions for scheduling matters referred to the ACMS #40, ACCS #35 and Joint ACMS-ACCS #32 meetings held in November 2022
- Scheduling submissionsPublic submissions on interim decisions for scheduling matters referred to the ACMS #38, ACCS #34 and Joint ACMS-ACCS #31 held in June 2022 (including MDMA and psilocybine)Public submissions on interim decisions for scheduling matters referred to ACMS, ACCS and Joint meetings held in June 2022
- Scheduling decisions (interim)Public notice of interim decisions on proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard - ACMS#40, ACCS#35, Joint ACMS-ACCS#32 - November 2022Interim decisions and invitation for further comment. Closing date: 3 March 2023