In September 2025, the Victorian Parliament passed the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Medication Administration in Residential Aged Care) Act 2025 (the Act). The Act places a new requirement on registered residential aged care providers in Victoria to ensure only nurses (registered and enrolled nurses) and other registered health practitioners administer prescribed and dispensed Drugs of Dependence and Schedules 4, 8 and 9 medications to people who do not administer their own medication.
The new requirement will commence on 1 July 2026.
Regulations will include exceptional circumstances where the requirement will not apply (exemptions) and how these circumstances will be managed.
This new requirement builds on existing Victorian legislative requirements that a registered nurse manages medication and is consistent with national Guiding Principles for Medication Management in Residential Aged Care Facilities.
People living in residential aged care often have complex health needs and medications that require clinical skills when administering.
Medication administration is a core nursing responsibility and a critical aspect of safe, person-centred care. As the final checkpoint before medication is given, nurses are responsible for ensuring it is correctly prescribed and dispensed. This requires medical literacy, and physiological understanding and knowledge of how medications affect older people - skills nurses develop through their education.
The change aims to reduce the risk of medicine-related problems in residential aged care.
New requirement
The requirement will only apply to residents who do not administer their own medication.
The requirement will also only apply when a resident is on the premises of the residential aged care home.
The new requirement will not:
- Prescribe models of care or how Commonwealth Government mandated direct care minutes are to be used; how homes implement the reform is a decision for providers.
- Change health practitioners existing authorisation under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981, or the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017, to administer medication within their scope of practice (for example general practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, and paramedic practitioners).
- Apply to unscheduled and Schedules 2 and 3 medications.
- Change any requirements of the voluntary assisted dying legislation.
- Impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners authorisation to administer Schedule 4 and 8 medications across Victoria's health and care settings.
The Victorian Government has committed to a 90-day grace period where no enforcement action will be pursued until 29 September 2026 to give providers that need to prepare for these changes some flexibility.
Regulations
The policy intention of the Regulations is to account for unforeseen events where a nurse is not available, and a resident cannot wait for their medication
The department has concluded consultation on the exposure draft of the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Medication Administration in Residential Aged Care) Regulations 2026 and draft sector guidance.
Feedback is being considered and will inform final Regulations and guidance. It is expected that these documents will be finalised and published in June 2026.
Next steps
The department is continuing to work with aged care providers and other stakeholders to implement the changes to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981.
Ongoing engagement opportunities will be communicated directly with providers and made available on this page.
What are Schedules 4, 8 and 9 medications and drugs of dependence?
Schedule 4 medications are prescription-only, for example antibiotics, local anaesthetics, and strong analgesics (such as Panadeine Forte®)
Schedule 8 medications are those that have a higher risk for abuse, misuse and physical or psychological dependence (for example oxycodone (OxyContin® or Endone®), morphine MS-Contin®) and some benzodiazepines (flunitrazepam and alprazolam).
Schedule 9 medications are prohibited substances and may include medication used in clinical trials.
Drugs of Dependence are listed in the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 and have a higher potential for dependence – they include all medicines in Schedules 8 and 9 and some from Schedules 4 (such as benzodiazepines). Drugs of Dependence should be treated with a higher degree of caution.
Updated