Drugs & Poisons Controls in Victoria

Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006

Storage and record keeping - Aged Care Services

Overview

The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006 (the Regulations) specify the storage and recording requirements for Schedule 4, Schedule 8 and Schedule 9 medicines that apply to all approved providers of aged care services where there is a resident receiving high-level residential care and the resident has been supplied with those medicines on prescription.

Note: To simplify this document, there will be no further reference to Schedule 9 poisons as it is highly unlikely that such medicines will be required in residential aged care services.

Storage requirements for approved providers of residential aged care services

The Regulations specify that for aged care services where there is a resident receiving high-level residential care, the approved provider:

• must store Schedule 4 medications in a lockable storage facility.

• must store Schedule 8 medicines in a lockable room or a lockable storage facility which is firmly affixed to the floor or wall.

• must ensure any storage facility for a Schedule 4 or 8 medicine is locked except when it is necessary to open it to carry out an essential operation in connection with the poisons stored in it (e.g. administration, inventory check).

• may use a single storage system for Schedule 4 and 8 medicines for all residents receiving those medicines; approved providers are not obliged to maintain separate storage facilities for high care residents and other residents.

Note:
The above requirements apply to Schedule 4 and 8 medicines that are supplied on prescription for a specific patient. If the aged care service maintains an imprest stock of medicines, which may only be obtained if the establishment holds a health services permit (HSP) issued by the Department of Health (the Department), then Schedule 8 imprest stock must be stored in a drug cabinet that complies with the security criteria specified in the Regulations.

Recording requirements for approved providers of residential aged care services

Approved providers are required to maintain and be able to retrieve accurate and complete records of transaction (including administration) for Schedule 4 and 8 medicines.

Approved providers are not required to maintain a drug register, which shows the balance of stock on hand, for Schedule 8 medicines which are supplied on prescription for a specific person in tamper evident dose administration containers where the containers are labelled with administration times.