New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

POISONS AND THERAPEUTIC GOODS REGULATION 2008 - REG 126A

126A Destruction of unusable or unwanted drugs of addiction in public hospitals

(1) The authorised director of a public hospital may destroy any unusable or unwanted drug of addiction at the hospital but only in the presence of:

(a) a pharmacist, or

(b) a registered medical practitioner, or

(c) an authorised midwife, or

(d) an authorised nurse, or

(e) a registered dentist.

(2) A person who destroys a drug of addiction in accordance with this clause:

(a) must record the fact of the destruction of the drug by an entry in the drug register maintained by the hospital, and

(b) must ensure that the entry includes the relevant date and the name, professional registration number and signature of that person and the person who witnessed the destruction of the drug.

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

(3) In this clause:
"authorised director", in relation to a public hospital, means:

(a) the director of pharmacy at that hospital, or

(b) if no such position exists at that hospital, the person responsible for controlling drugs of addiction at that hospital, or

(c) a pharmacist authorised in writing for the purposes of this clause by the director of pharmacy or the person responsible for controlling drugs of addiction at the hospital.

"authorised midwife" means a registered midwife who is in charge of a ward at a hospital or who is authorised by the director of nursing of a hospital to oversee the destruction of drugs at the hospital for the purposes of this clause.
"authorised nurse" means a registered nurse who is in charge of a ward at the hospital or who is authorised by the director of nursing of a hospital to oversee the destruction of drugs at the hospital for the purposes of this clause.