4Objects of Act

4 Objects of Act

(1) The objects of this Act are to do the following, so far as the Constitution permits: (a) provide for the establishment and maintenance of a national system of controls relating to the quality, safety, efficacy and timely availability of therapeutic goods that are: (i) used in Australia, whether produced in Australia or elsewhere; or (ii) exported from Australia; (b) to provide a framework for the States and Territories to adopt a uniform approach to control the availability and accessibility, and ensure the safe handling, of poisons in Australia; (c) provide for a scheme allowing pharmacists to substitute certain medicine for other medicine if the Minister has declared there is a serious scarcity of the other medicine; (d) provide for the establishment and maintenance of a national system of controls relating to the regulation of vaping goods that are: (i) imported into Australia; or (ii) manufactured in Australia; or (iii) supplied in Australia, whether manufactured in Australia or elsewhere; or (iv) exported from Australia. (1A) The reference in paragraph (1)(a) to the efficacy of therapeutic goods is a reference, if the goods are medical devices, to the performance of the devices as the manufacturer intended. (2) This Act is therefore not intended to apply to the exclusion of a law of a State, of the Australian Capital Territory or of the Northern Territory to the extent that the law is capable of operating concurrently with this Act.