Schedule 8 (controlled) drugs include opioids, stimulants for ADHD and some benzodiazepines. Every state regulates them tightly:
- Some drugs require a permit or authority from the state health department before long-term prescribing, and rules apply when prescribing to people with a history of drug dependence.
- Stimulants for ADHD usually need specialist initiation or state approval.
- Scripts must meet specific legal requirements (quantity in words and figures, etc.).
Real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) systems show a patient's recent supply of monitored medicines (S8s and some S4s such as benzodiazepines, pregabalin and codeine). Victoria's system is called SafeScript; other states have their own, linked through a national system. In several states it is mandatory to check before prescribing or dispensing a monitored drug.
Red flags for misuse: early requests, lost scripts, multiple prescribers ("doctor shopping"), escalating doses. The safe response is non-judgemental, check RTPM, and do not prescribe on the spot if it is unsafe.