Australian Standard Classification of Drugs of Concern

"The Australian Standard Classification of Drugs of Concern (ASCDC) is the Australian statistical standard for classifying data relating to drugs which are considered to be of concern in Australian society. The ASCDC is essentially a classification of type of drug of concern based on the chemical structure, mechanism of action and effect on physiological activity of the drugs of concern. The classification of Type of Drug is described as the 'main classification structure' throughout the ASCDC document. The ASCDC is intended for use in the collection, classification, storage and dissemination of all statistical, administrative and service delivery data relating to drugs of concern. There are two additional classifications, Form of Drug and Method of Drug Use.

The ASCDC assists government planners, policy analysts and social researchers by providing a consistent framework for the classification of drug-related data. The use of the standard definitions, classifications and coding procedures detailed in the ASCDC helps to ensure the comparability and compatibility of data derived from a range of different statistical, administrative and service provision systems at both the state and national level.

The ASCDC is designed to collect, classify and disseminate data on drugs of concern. Because most drugs have the potential to be considered of concern in certain circumstances or contexts, the scope of the classification is all drugs. However, only those drugs noted by key stakeholders in the health, welfare, and crime and justice sectors to be of current concern in the Australian context of harm minimisation are identified in the main classification structure. This includes all drugs of concern which may be identified using the criteria listed above (see Identifying the Base Level Units of the Classification, above).

It should also be noted that the main classification structure of the ASCDC does not distinguish between drugs of concern on the basis of their legality. Further, it is not a suitable vehicle for the classification of the different chemical or physical forms in which a drug may be available, and should not be used to determine the different methods of drug use. These are correlative variables for which the 'Form of Drug' and 'Method of Drug Use' classifications have been developed."