Notice Type
Departmental
Notice Title

Classification of Medicines

Pursuant to section 106(1) of the Medicines Act 1981 (“Act”), I, Keriana Brooking, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Health, acting under delegated authority, hereby declare that:

  1. The medicines listed in Schedule 1 to this notice are to be classified as prescription medicines.
  2. The medicines listed in Schedule 2 to this notice are to be classified as pharmacy-only medicines.

Every reference to a medicine in this notice applies whether the medicine is synthetic in origin or is from biological or mineral sources.

Unless specific reference is made otherwise, every reference to a medicine in this notice applies also to medicines that are:

  1. preparations and admixtures containing any proportion of any substance listed in the notice.
  2. salts and esters of any substance listed in the notice.
  3. preparations or extracts of biological materials listed in the notice.
  4. salts or oxides of elements listed in the notice.

Unless specific reference is made otherwise, every reference to a medicine in this notice applies:

  1. if the medicine is in an injection or eye preparation, to any concentration of that medicine; and
  2. if the medicine is not in an injection or eye preparation, only if the concentration of the medicine is greater than 10 milligrams per litre or per kilogram.

Where any reference to a medicine in this notice is modified by a statement of the strength of the medicine, the strength is calculated using the free acid, base, alcohol or element unless specifically stated otherwise.

In accordance with section 106(2) of the Act, to the extent that any part of this notice is inconsistent with any provisions of any regulations made under section 105(1)(j) of the Act, the provisions in those regulations cease to have effect while this notice remains in force.

Schedule 1

Prescription Medicines

Measles vaccine; except when specified elsewhere in this notice

Mumps vaccine; except when specified elsewhere in this notice

Rubella vaccine; except when specified elsewhere in this notice

Schedule 2

Pharmacy-only Medicines

Measles vaccine when administered in combination with mumps and rubella vaccines in a combination product the supply of which the Minister of Health has given consent, by a vaccinator who has successfully completed a training course approved by the Ministry of Health and who complies with the immunisation standards of the Ministry of Health

Mumps vaccine when administered in combination with measles and rubella vaccines in a combination product the supply of which the Minister of Health has given consent, by a vaccinator who has successfully completed a training course approved by the Ministry of Health and who complies with the immunisation standards of the Ministry of Health

Rubella vaccine when administered in combination with mumps and measles vaccines in a combination product the supply of which the Minister of Health has given consent, a vaccinator who has successfully completed a training course approved by the Ministry of Health and who complies with the immunisation standards of the Ministry of Health

Dated this 24th day of October 2019.

KERIANA BROOKING, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Health.