To prescribe under the NSW Opioid Treatment Program (OTP), key forms are required to provide patient entry into treatment, exit from treatment, and to notify changes in dosing points.
Applications for approval to prescribe or supply Schedule 8 medicines under the NSW OTP can now be submitted and managed via SafeScript NSW.
SafeScript NSW can also be used to exit a person from OTP and transfer a patient to another dosing point within NSW.
Applications for approval to prescribe or supply methadone, buprenorphine, or other opioid agonist therapy (OAT) treatment under the NSW OTP may also be made by completing the following relevant form:
This application form is used by prescribers to apply for approval to enrol a patient in the NSW Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). Approval from the Ministry of Health is required before prescribing methadone or buprenorphine to commence treatment.
This form must also be completed when changing a patient’s pharmacotherapy between methadone and buprenorphine preparations, or vice versa.
Patients must be formally exited from treatment by completing and submitting this form for each patient discharged from treatment.
This form should also be used for a patient that is transferred from the care of one prescriber to another. Unit this form is submitted, the new prescriber will be unable to commence treatment for the patient.
Interstate prescribers who wish to temporarily transfer a patient to the NSW OTP are required to complete and submit this form to the Ministry of Health, Pharmaceutical Services Unit.
If an NSW OTP patient is permanently changing their dosing point, this form should be used to notify the Ministry of Health, Pharmaceutical Services Unit.
If the patient is travelling outside of NSW, specific guidance is given by the Ministry of health for interstate transfers or overseas travel for how to clinically manage such circumstances.
*Terminology has been updated from ‘authorities’ to ‘approvals’ to distinguish it from Commonwealth PBS authorities. In SafeScript NSW, an approval is a reference to an authority issued under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966.