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A veterinary drug safe is needed wherever a practice holds Schedule 8 medicines such as ketamine, and it must meet the S8 storage rules of the state or territory you practise in. In most states that means a steel drug safe of a specified thickness, bolted to the building, in an area the public cannot reach. Mobile and large animal vets also need to know whether their state lets them keep S8 medicines in a vehicle, because the rules vary widely.
This guide covers which veterinary drugs fall under S8 rules, what each state requires at the clinic and on the road, and how to choose and fit a safe. Our Schedule 8 drug safe buying guide has the wider national picture.
Which veterinary drugs need a drug safe
Any medicine in Schedule 8 of the Poisons Standard needs S8 storage. Ketamine is the most common example in veterinary practice. In its 2023 decision notice on ketamine and esketamine, the TGA noted that ketamine was up-scheduled to Schedule 8 in 2004 and concluded it still meets the scheduling factors for Schedule 8. Opioid analgesics used in practice are also commonly S8, so check the schedule of each product you hold.
Pentobarbital is a special case. It is a Schedule 4 poison under the Poisons Standard, but an Appendix D entry requires injectable pentobarbital to be stored in a locked container. The Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria notes it is also a drug of dependence in Victoria and may be stored in a locked Schedule 8 drug safe accessible only to registered veterinary practitioners. In NSW, Health’s guidance for vets says pentobarbital must be stored as per the Medicine Storage Standards. Many clinics simply keep it in the S8 safe, which is a sensible default if there is room.
Veterinary drug safe rules at the clinic
Here is how the confirmed rules compare for fixed clinic premises. Always check the current wording with your regulator.
| State or territory | Clinic storage for S8 medicines |
|---|---|
| Victoria | Lockable facility, fixed to floor or wall, at least as secure as a 10 mm mild steel drug cabinet with a 6-lever lock (regulation 74). Up to six emergency doses may be kept in a lesser lockable facility. |
| NSW (from 5 November 2026) | Safe of mild steel plate at least 9 mm thick, welded locking bar, five-lever lock or equivalent, or a grade VII strongroom. Robust fixing; located where the public has no access. |
| Queensland | 10 mm mild steel safe with continuous welding, flush door, locking bar and 6-lever lock, weighing over 350 kg or bolted with four 12 mm bolts. |
| Western Australia | Depends on doses held: up to 250 doses in a small safe, 251 to 500 in a small safe with a detection device, more than 500 in a large safe with a detection device, unless an alternative is approved. |
| South Australia | 10 mm mild steel safe with a 6-lever lock, 4-wheel combination lock or equivalent electronic lock, over 350 kg or securely attached, plus one of the listed detection measures, such as a monitored alarm or CCTV. |
| Tasmania | Stored apart from other goods in an enclosure constructed and secured in a manner approved by the Secretary, locked when not in use. |
| ACT | Locked container that prevents ready access and is securely attached to a building, or a locked drawer, cupboard, room or vehicle, with the vet keeping custody of the key. |
For the detail in the eastern states, see our guides to NSW S8 safe rules and Queensland S8 safe rules. NSW is worth noting because its vet safe specification is the same as the community pharmacy one.
Mobile, rural and large animal work
Farm calls, equine work and after-hours visits raise the question of storing S8 medicines away from the clinic. The rules we could confirm are:
- Queensland: S8 medicines carried to treat animals away from the usual place of practice must be in a bag, box or similar container kept in the vet’s personal custody, and may not be left in vehicles overnight or when unattended. Queensland Health’s March 2026 consultation draft proposed allowing vets to store S8 medicines in vehicles under storage requirements. The Australian Veterinary Association supported this and asked for guidance on locked containers within locked canopies or utility trays in alarmed vehicles. Check whether a revised standard is in force.
- Tasmania: regulation 29(4) of the Poisons Regulations 2018 allows a veterinary surgeon, for emergency purposes, to keep narcotic substances in a bag in a vehicle or room that is kept securely locked when not occupied by them.
- Victoria: S8 poisons being transported for use in another place may be kept in a portable, lockable container.
- Western Australia: a practitioner attending patients away from their usual place of practice may carry a reasonable quantity, provided it stays in their possession at all times and they take reasonable steps against loss or theft.
- South Australia: the Code of Practice allows a lockable compartment of a vehicle or a bag to hold a maximum of 30 doses in total, and the transport rules say S8 drugs must not be left in vehicles overnight or unattended unless secured in premises with a monitored alarm or security patrol.
- ACT: vets may store controlled medicines in a locked vehicle, keeping personal custody of the key.
Where vehicle storage is allowed, a small lockable steel box bolted inside a locked canopy or under-seat compartment is one practical approach, subject to your state’s rules. Keep quantities to what you need for the trip and record every movement in the register.
Keys, access and records
Victoria’s vet board recommends that pentobarbital be accessible only to veterinary practitioners, or staff under a practitioner’s direction, and the same thinking applies to S8 medicines. Practical controls include:
- keys held by vets on duty, never left in the safe or a reception drawer
- individual codes for digital or card-swipe locks, cancelled when staff leave
- a separate, tamper-evident register with a running balance for each S8 product
- regular stock checks, with discrepancies investigated and reported as your state requires
Our article on choosing between a key and an electronic lock helps with lock selection. If a key is lost or a lock fails, our safe repair and opening service can help get the safe back in order.
Choosing and fitting a vet clinic drug safe
Think about what you store now and what you may add, such as a second anaesthetic agent or larger packs. Leave space for pentobarbital if you plan to keep it with S8 stock. Our veterinary and medical drug safes come in key, combination, digital and card-swipe versions. For a smaller clinic, the Stronghold DS1 drug safe is currently listed at around $1,095, with larger models costing several thousand dollars. Prices change, so check the product page, and compare the manufacturer’s construction details with your state’s rules.
Clinics are often in converted houses or light commercial units with timber or hollow walls. Fixing to the slab, or through-bolting with a backing plate where the rules allow it, is usually needed. Our team handles drug safe installation for vet clinics in Melbourne and through our national network. Practices that also employ medical staff, such as some research or wildlife facilities, may find our guide to drug safes for medical and dental practices useful.
This article is general information. Rules change, so confirm your obligations with your state health department and veterinary board before buying or moving S8 storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ketamine a Schedule 8 drug for vets?
Yes. Ketamine is in Schedule 8 of the Poisons Standard. In a 2023 decision notice, the TGA noted it was up-scheduled to Schedule 8 in 2004 and decided it continues to meet the factors for Schedule 8. That means veterinary clinics holding ketamine must store it under their state’s S8 storage rules, which usually require a fixed steel drug safe.
Does pentobarbital have to go in the drug safe?
Pentobarbital is a Schedule 4 poison under the Poisons Standard, but an Appendix D entry adds a storage control requiring the injectable form to be kept in a locked container. Some states go further. In Victoria it is a drug of dependence and may be kept in a locked S8 drug safe, and NSW Health says pentobarbital must be stored as per its Medicine Storage Standards.
Can a mobile vet keep S8 drugs in the ute?
Rules differ. Tasmania lets vets keep narcotic substances in a bag in a vehicle that is securely locked when unoccupied, for emergency purposes. The ACT allows a locked vehicle for certain practitioners. Queensland’s current standard says S8 medicines may not be left in vehicles overnight or unattended, although a 2026 draft proposed allowing vehicle storage under conditions. Check your state.
What drug safe does a NSW vet clinic need?
From 5 November 2026, NSW’s Medicine Storage Standards require veterinary hospitals and practices to store S8 medicines in a safe of mild steel plate at least 9 mm thick, continuously welded, with a flush 9 mm door, welded locking bar and five-lever lock or equivalent, or in a grade VII strongroom. The safe must be securely fixed and kept where the public has no access.
Talk to us about a drug safe for your clinic
Bring your stock list to our Tullamarine showroom at 38 Barrie Rd, where more than 350 new and used safes are on display, or call 0409 860 011. You can also email our safe team with your clinic details and we will suggest suitable drug safes for your state’s rules.
