Schedule 4 medicines are prescription only medicines, the standard category covering most treatments a GP prescribes: antibiotics, blood pressure medicines, contraceptives, antidepressants and many more. A valid prescription from a registered prescriber is required for supply.
The scheduling system, run under the national Poisons Standard, matches access rules to risk: pharmacy only medicines sit lower, controlled drugs sit higher at Schedule 8. Electronic prescriptions have made Schedule 4 supply seamless with telehealth, with tokens dispensed at any Australian pharmacy.