WHAT'S CHANGED

SUMMARY OF CHANGES
One new group has been created at the broad group level. Six new narrow groups have been included in the Second Edition, and one narrow group previously included in the first edition of the ASCDC has been removed. Four base level categories that existed in the first edition have been moved to different narrow groups. Thirty-two new base level categories have been created, and one base level category has been expanded to include a drug formerly included in a 'not elsewhere classified' category.

These changes are detailed below:

• Cannabinoids and Related Drugs Broad Group
  Narrow Group 32 'Cannabinoids' has been removed from Broad Group 3 'Stimulants and Hallucinogens' and a new Broad Group 7 'Cannabinoids and Related Drugs' has been created. Many users indicated that Cannabinoids did not fit well in the 'Stimulants and Hallucinogens' group. Given this, it was decided that the classification would be best served by the creation of a new broad group, Broad Group 7, 'Cannabinoids and Related Drugs' for these drugs. This new broad group will also allow for the inclusion of new base level categories for 'Cannabinoid' extracted from the plants (code 7101) and for synthesised 'Cannabinoid agonists' (7102), which stakeholders requested to have separately identified as the molecular similarity does not fit perfectly within any other base level unit.

• GHB Type Drugs and Analogues
  The 'GHB Type Drugs and Analogues' narrow group was created to reflect the rise in prevalence of a number of drugs that are similar to gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in action and composition that were not separately identified in the first edition of ASCDC. Stakeholder feedback indicated that use of drugs of this type is widespread enough to warrant the creation of a new narrow group. In the first edition of ASCDC, GHB type drugs were included in Narrow Group 22, 'Anaesthetics'.

• Cathinones
  While 'Cathinone' and 'Methcathinone' were identified as separate base level categories in the first edition of ASCDC, stakeholders identified a number of related drugs that were not separately identified. The new narrow group 'Cathinones' groups all of these drugs together. Cathinones were included in Narrow Group 39, 'Other Stimulants and Hallucinogens' in the first edition of ASCDC.

• Piperazines
  Narrow Group 38, 'Piperazines', represents a category of stimulant whose use as a recreational drug has increased markedly since the publication of the original ASCDC. There was considerable interest from stakeholders in having this category of drug separately identified as a narrow group. No Piperazines were separately identified in the first edition of ASCDC, although conceptually they would have been in Narrow Group 39, 'Other Stimulants and Hallucinogens'.

• Atypical Antipsychotics
  Narrow Group 56, 'Atypical Antipsychotics', are a class of antipsychotic medication that had only recently been introduced when the first edition of ASCDC was published. Since then, their prescription has become commonplace and the opportunity for them to be misused and abused has consequently increased. In the first edition of ASCDC, Atypical Antipsychotics were included in the nec category of Narrow Group 59, 'Other Antidepressants and Antipsychotics'.

• Laxatives
  Narrow Group 93 'Laxatives', comprises a type of drug that is frequently and increasingly abused, especially by people with eating disorders. The inclusion of 'Laxatives' was seen by stakeholders as a useful adjunct to the existing narrow group 'Diuretics'. Laxatives were not identified as a drug of concern in the first edition of ASCDC.

Movement of existing drugs of concern
With the creation of the new broad and narrow groups, several base level categories have been moved from existing narrow groups to these new groups. Specifically, 'Gamma-hydroxybutyrate' has moved from 2201 to 2501, 'Cannabinoids' from 3201 to 7101, 'Cathinone' from 3902 to 3701, and 'Methcathinone' from 3904 to 3702.

New drugs of concern
Due to the increasing incidence of their misuse and abuse and consequent need to individually identify them in statistics, the following base level categories have been included in the Second Edition ASCDC:

	1307	Tramadol
	1403	Ibuprofen
	2205	Propofol
	2502	Gamma-butyrolactone
	2503	1,4-butanediol
	2599	GHB Type Drugs and Analogues, nec
	2904	Doxylamine
	2905	Promethazine
	2906	Zolpidem
	3104	Amphetamine analogues
	3411	DOI
	3412	PMMA
	3413	2C-B
	3414	Phenethylamine analogues
	3506	Tryptamine analogues
	3703	Cathinone analogues
	3799	Cathinones, nec
	3801	1-Benzylpiperazine
	3802	1-(3-Trifluoromethylphenyl)-piperazine
	3803	1-(3-Chlorophenyl)-piperazine
	3804	Phenylpiperazine analogues
	3899	Piperazines, nec
	5601	Amisulpride
	5602	Aripriprazole
	5603	Clozapine
	5604	Olanzapine
	5605	Quetiapine
	5606	Risperidone
	5607	Ziprasidone
	5699	Atypical Antipsychotics, nec
	7102	Cannabinoid agonists
	7199	Cannabinoids and Related Drugs, nec
	9301	Laxatives

Inclusion of Psilocin with Psilocybin
Psilocybin and Psilocin are two closely related tryptamines. The two drugs are most commonly found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, and the two can exist within the same mushroom. Stakeholder feedback has indicated that in most cases, a clinician would be unable to determine if a patient was affected by psilocybin or psilocin. Therefore 'Psilocin' has been moved from 3599 'Tryptamines, nec' and combined with the first edition base level category 3505 'Psilocybin' to form a single base level category of 3505 'Psilocybin or Psilocin'.


Precursor Substances
A number of stakeholders requested that the classification include a grouping for precursor substances. However, while researching the precursor substances, it became clear that this would not be possible as not all precursor substances are drugs, for example safrole (an oil used in making perfume), and some drugs, such as pseudoephedrine, would need to be included in two categories in the classification. This is not possible as all categories in a classification must be mutually exclusive.

A list of precursors can be found in the Code of Practice for Supply Diversion into Illicit Drug Manufacture published by The Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association (PACIA) on the website: http://www.pacia.org.au/Content/drugs.aspx

Comparison between ASCDC 2000 and ASCDC 2011

See the changes (including additions and deletions) in the Type of Drug Classification and Additional Classifications data cube, Table 3 Comparison of the Structure Between 2000 and 2011.


CHANGES TO THE SUPPLEMENTARY CODES

A new broad group and new narrow groups have been added to the main structure of the ASCDC.
New supplementary codes have been created for these groups where appropriate.

The following list of supplementary codes includes the new codes in bold:

	1000	Analgesics, nfd
	1100	Organic Opiate Analgesics, nfd
	1200	Semisynthetic Opioid Analgesics, nfd
	1300	Synthetic Opioid Analgesics, nfd
	1400	Non Opioid Analgesics, nfd
	2000	Sedatives and Hypnotics, nfd
	2100	Alcohols, nfd
	2200	Anaesthetics, nfd
	2300	Barbiturates, nfd
	2400	Benzodiazepines, nfd
	2500	GHB Type Drugs and Analogues, nfd
	2900	Other Sedatives and Hypnotics, nfd
	3000	Stimulants and Hallucinogens, nfd
	3100	Amphetamines, nfd
	3300	Ephedra Alkaloids, nfd
	3400	Phenethylamines, nfd
	3500	Tryptamines, nfd
	3600	Volatile Nitrates, nfd
	3700	Cathinones, nfd
	3800	Piperazines, nfd
	3900	Other Stimulants and Hallucinogens, nfd
	4000	Anabolic Agents and Selected Hormones, nfd
	4100	Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, nfd
	4200	Beta2 Agonists, nfd
	4300	Peptide Hormones, Mimetics and Analogues, nfd
	4900	Other Anabolic Agents and Selected Hormones, nfd
	5000	Antidepressants and Antipsychotics, nfd
	5100	Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, nfd
	5200	Phenothiazines, nfd
	5300	Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, nfd
	5400	Thioxanthenes, nfd
	5500	Tricyclic Antidepressants, nfd
	5600	Atypical Antipsychotics, nfd
	5900	Other Antidepressants and Antipsychotics, nfd
	6000	Volatile Solvents, nfd
	6100	Aliphatic Hydrocarbons, nfd
	6200	Aromatic Hydrocarbons, nfd
	6300	Halogenated Hydrocarbons, nfd
	6900	Other Volatile Solvents, nfd
	7100	Cannabinoids and Related Drugs, nfd
	9000	Miscellaneous Drugs of Concern, nfd
	9100	Diuretics, nfd
	9200	Opioid Antagonists, nfd