In 2015 the 1977 act was declared unconstitutional, immediately legalizing many drugs in Ireland including ecstasy, ketamine, and crystal meth.
[4] The act provides for the Minister for Health to make regulations scheduling drugs according to their use perceived medical usability and their risk to the public.
Strictly controlled medicinal products (and derivatives thereof) or drugs used for scientific purposes which have a high likelihood of their being abused.
Products containing a relatively small proportion of certain substances listed in schedules 1-4 (e.g. cough medicines containing codeine) and are usually administered by a doctor or pharmacist.
Schedule 8 (inserted by the 2007 Regulations) lists the drugs that can be prescribed by a registered nurse within schedules 2 and 3 for pain relief in hospitals, palliative care, midwifery and neonatal care in hospital and the particular method of administration of these drugs.