Quick Dose

Child resistant packaging requirements for therapeutic goods are currently regulated in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration under Therapeutic Goods Order No. 65 (TGA65) - Child Resistant Packaging for Therapeutic goods. In New Zealand the area is overseen by Medsafe under the Regulations to the Medicines Act (1981). The recent draft order addressing child resistant packaging of therapeutic products is the result of an attempt to harmonise Australian and New Zealand standards in this regard.

The objective of the Order is to set requirements for packaging of therapeutic products that may present a significant risk of toxicity to children if accidentally ingested. In particular, the draft Order addresses the regulation of packaging which is designed to be resistant to opening by children, and broadens the scope of the Order as it currently stands in the following ways: