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Updates and alerts

The following contains important announcements made under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (MPA) by the Minister of Health, Chief Executive of Queensland Health or Chief Health Officer, including Queensland initiated recall orders, emergency orders, labelling and packaging exemptions, and emerging risk declarations.

Emergency orders

  • Emergency order – COVID-19 Vaccination Service Providers – COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccine (PDF 237 kB)
    This emergency order, made under section 58(1)(e) of the Medicines and Poisons Act authorises persons stated in the emergency order to undertake regulated activities for providing a COVID-19 vaccination service in Queensland and dealing with a COVID-19 vaccine and/or Influenza vaccine.
  • Emergency order – National Medical Stockpile (Medicines) (PDF 120 kB)
    This emergency order, made under section 58(1)(e) of the Medicines and Poisons Act, authorises persons stated in the emergency order to undertake particular regulated activities detailed with medicines from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS), related to (i) accessing NMS medicine stocks; (ii) distribution of NMS medicines between relevant institutions or between health practitioners for the treatment of patients; and (iii) returning unused stock of medicines to the NMS.

Labelling and packaging exemptions

The Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021 (MPMR) requires that a supplier must not supply a stock of a medicine to a buyer unless the labelling on the medicine (S2, S3, S4 and S8 medicines) complies with the labelling requirements for the medicine stated in the current Poisons Standard, part 2, section 1.

Similarly, the MPMR requires that a supplier must not supply stock of a medicine to a buyer unless the container of the medicine complies with the requirements for containers for the medicine stated in the Poisons Standard, part 2, section 2.

Section 237 of the MPMR describes circumstances when a medicine may be labelled or packaged in an alternative way (an exemption) to the Poisons Standard and in such circumstances this alternative way must be certified by the Chief Executive (or delegate) of Queensland Health or an appropriate authority (of the Commonwealth or in another State or Territory).

Applying for a labelling exemption certification

Where an appropriate authority, for a purpose or in another State, has authorised (whether by approval, exemption or some other way) another way to label or package a medicine for the purpose or other State, then to the extent authorised by the appropriate authority, the other way is taken to be an alternative way approved under section 237 of the MPMR, unless the chief executive publishes a statement on the department’s website that the other way is not approved for Queensland.

If there is no exemption provided by an appropriate authority, medicines suppliers can apply for medicines to be labelled or packaged in alternative way using the Application for Exemption of Medicine Labelling or Packaging form. Please populate the form with all information requested and return via email to medicines.applications@health.qld.gov.au.

This form can also be used to notify the chief executive of an authorisation by an appropriate authority.

Current labelling exemptions in Queensland

Expired labelling exemptions in Queensland

Last updated: 3 February 2023

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