Schedule 5 (S5) medicines in South Africa

What is a Schedule 5 medicine in South Africa?

Prescription-only, with tighter controls on repeats. Schedule 5 medicines need a prescription, and repeat dispensing is capped at six months in total; the prescriber must state upfront how many times, and at what intervals, it may be repeated. Extra limits apply to some uses: if it is being used for its anxiolytic, antidepressant, tranquillising or analgesic properties, it cannot be prescribed for longer than six months without a further consultation. Its price, name, pack size and strength can still be told to the public, as long as nothing links it to what it treats.

Can a pharmacist sell a Schedule 5 medicine without a prescription?

A prescription is required. A pharmacist dispensing against a written or verbal prescription from an authorised prescriber; a veterinarian, who may also prescribe, compound or dispense it directly; a medical practitioner or dentist, who may prescribe it and may compound or dispense it directly only if licensed under section 22C(1)(a); manufacturers and wholesalers may supply people who may lawfully possess it. Capped at six months in total, and only if the prescriber stated in advance the number of repeats and the interval between them; the same six-month cap applies to anxiolytic, antidepressant or tranquillising use unless a registered psychiatrist has been consulted, and to analgesic use unless another medical practitioner has been consulted. The prescription must also be presented for dispensing within 30 days of issue.