Ephedra alkaloids
Group of substances
No structure available
Ephedra alkaloids is a group of substances, so there is no single molecule to show.
Background
Listing
- Schedules
- Schedule 1 to 6, conditions apply
- Source
- Consolidated Schedules 06 July 2026
Registered medicines
The ingredient index links no registered medicine to Ephedra alkaloids (register of 13 September 2026).
Counted through the register's ingredient index, which does not reach every record.
Regulatory status
Where S1 to S6 sits on the scale
Depends on which listing applies
At the least restrictive, Schedule 1: sold by a pharmacist, no doctor's prescription needed. At the most restrictive, Schedule 6: prescription-only, no repeats without a new prescription. The listings below say which applies to which form, strength or pack size.
Schedule S1 to S6, as the Consolidated Schedules list it.
Who may supply: 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.
Consolidated Schedules listings for Ephedra alkaloids
S6: Ephedra alkaloids (natural or synthetic)
- except unless listed separately in the Schedules,
- except products registered in terms of the Act, not intended for export, and being oral preparations and mixtures, in combination with another pharmacologically active substance and intended for the symptomatic relief of colds and flu, containing not more than 30 milligrams of ephedra alkaloids per dose, with a maximum daily dose not exceeding 120 milligrams, subject to a maximum pack size of 360 milligrams and limited to one pack per customer; (S2)
- except when intended for application to skin, eyes, ears and nares and containing 1 percent or less of ephedra alkaloids. (S1)
Consolidated Schedules 06 July 2026, lines 10209 to 10218
S2: Ephedra alkaloids (natural or synthetic)
- contained in products registered in terms of the Act, and not intended for export, unless listed separately in the Schedules,
- oral preparations and mixtures, in combination with another pharmacologically active substance and intended for the symptomatic relief of colds and flu, containing not more than 30 milligrams of ephedra alkaloids per dose, with a maximum daily dose not exceeding 120 milligrams, subject to a maximum pack size of 360 milligrams and limited to one pack per customer; (S6)
- except when intended for application to skin, eyes, ears and nares and containing 1 percent or less of ephedra alkaloids. (S1)
Consolidated Schedules 06 July 2026, lines 1888 to 1897
S1: Ephedra alkaloids (natural or synthetic)
- when intended for application to skin, eyes, ears and nares and containing 1 percent or less of ephedra alkaloids, and not intended for export; (S6)
- except oral preparations and mixtures, in combination with another pharmacologically active substance and intended for the symptomatic relief of colds and flu, containing not more than 30 milligrams of ephedrine per dose, with a maximum daily dose not exceeding 120 milligrams, subject to a maximum pack size of 360 milligrams and limited to one pack per customer. (S2)
Consolidated Schedules 06 July 2026, lines 400 to 408
This is an informational summary of the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 and its 2017 General Regulations. It is not medical advice and not legal advice. Always check the medicine's label, which carries the schedule number inside a square border, or ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.