Therapeutic Goods (Standard For Tablets, Capsules and Pills) (TGO 101) Order 2019
Therapeutic Goods (Standard For Tablets, Capsules and Pills) (TGO 101) Order 2019
Therapeutic Goods (Standard For Tablets, Capsules and Pills) (TGO 101) Order 2019
Jane Cook
First Assistant Secretary
Medicines Regulation Division
Health Products Regulation Group
Department of Health
Part 3—Pills 11
21 Application of Part ..............................................................................................................11
22 General requirements ..........................................................................................................11
23 Appearance .........................................................................................................................11
24 Water content ......................................................................................................................11
25 Weight variation .................................................................................................................11
26 Disintegration .....................................................................................................................11
27 Assay of each active ingredient...........................................................................................12
28 Elemental impurities ...........................................................................................................12
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2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences,
or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any
other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
Commencement information
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
Provisions Commencement Date/Details
1. Sections 1 to 15, and 31 March 2019. 31 March 2019
anything in this instrument not
elsewhere covered by this
table
2. Section 16 31 March 2021. 31 March 2021
3. Sections 17 to 20 31 March 2019. 31 March 2019
4. Part 3 31 March 2021. 31 March 2021
5. Schedules 1 and 2 31 March 2019. 31 March 2019
6. Schedule 3 31 March 2021. 31 March 2021
7. Schedule 4 31 March 2019. 31 March 2019
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will
not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument.
Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in
any published version of this instrument.
3 Authority
This instrument is made under section 10 of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
4 Interpretation
Note: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in subsection 3(1) of the
Act, including the following:
(a) British Pharmacopoeia;
(b) default standard;
(c) European Pharmacopoeia;
(d) export only medicine;
(e) label;
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5 Standard
This instrument constitutes a standard for tablets, capsules and pills.
6 Application
(1) Subject to subsection (2), this instrument applies to therapeutic goods that are
intended for oral administration, and manufactured in the following dosage
forms:
(a) tablet;
(b) capsule; and
(c) pill.
Note: Part 3 and Schedule 3 of this instrument, which sets out requirements in relation to pills,
commences on 31 March 2021 in accordance with section 2.
(2) This instrument does not apply to therapeutic goods that are:
(a) a radiopharmaceutical;
(b) an export only medicine;
(c) exempt under section 18 or 18A of the Act;
(d) the subject of an approval or authority under section 19 of the Act; or
(e) the subject of an approval under section 19A of the Act.
7 Repeals
Each instrument that is specified in Schedule 4 to this instrument is repealed as
set out in the applicable items in that Schedule.
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8 General requirements
(1) The requirements in relation to a tablet or capsule for which there is an
applicable monograph are:
(a) those requirements specified in that monograph, subject to the matters
specified in Division 2; or
(b) those requirements specified in Division 3 (the Australian specific
requirements) together with the requirements relevant to the tablet or
capsule that are specified in one of the following:
(i) the general monographs in the European Pharmacopoeia;
(ii) the general monographs in the British Pharmacopoeia;
(iii) the general chapters of the United States Pharmacopeia-National
Formulary.
(2) The requirements in relation to a tablet or capsule for which there is no
applicable monograph are:
(a) the Australian specific requirements; and
(b) the requirements relevant to the tablet or capsule that are specified in one
of the following:
(i) the general monographs in the European Pharmacopoeia;
(ii) the general monographs in the British Pharmacopoeia;
(iii) the general chapters of the United States Pharmacopeia-National
Formulary.
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9 Application of Division
This Division applies to tablets and capsules:
(a) that are registered goods or listed goods; and
(b) for which there is an applicable monograph.
11 Dissolution
If:
(a) a tablet or capsule is a registered good that:
(i) does not contain folic acid; or
(ii) is not a modified-release tablet, chewable tablet, effervescent tablet,
dispersible tablet or modified-release capsule; and
(b) the applicable monograph that is applied to the tablet or capsule does not
specify a test for dissolution; and
(c) a default standard in relation to any active ingredient contained in that
tablet or capsule specifies a dissolution test for the relevant dosage form;
then the dissolution test specified for the tablet or capsule is:
(d) the dissolution test specified in the default standard mentioned in
paragraph (1)(c); or
(e) another dissolution test that is suitable for the tablet or capsule..
Note 1: A dissolution test is specified for tablets and capsules that are registered goods or listed
goods, containing folic acid: see section 10.
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13 Application of Division
This Division applies to tablets and capsules that are registered goods or listed
goods.
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17 Dissolution
(1) If:
(a) a tablet or capsule is a registered good that:
(i) does not contain folic acid; or
(ii) is not a modified-release tablet, chewable tablet, effervescent tablet,
dispersible tablet or modified-release capsule; and
(b) a default standard in relation to any active ingredient contained in that
tablet or capsule specifies a dissolution test for the relevant dosage form;
then the dissolution test specified for the tablet or capsule is:
(c) the dissolution test specified in the default standard mentioned in
paragraph (1)(b); or
(d) another dissolution test that is suitable for the tablet or capsule.
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18 Disintegration
(1) Subject to subsection (2), the test for disintegration specified in item 2 of the
table in Schedule 1 applies in relation to tablets or capsules that are not chewable
tablets.
(2) If a test for dissolution of active ingredients is performed in relation to the tablet
or capsule in accordance with section 15 or 17, then the tablet or capsule is not
required to comply with the test for disintegration specified in item 2 of the table
in Schedule 1.
19 Fineness of dispersion
If the tablet is a dispersible tablet, then the test for fineness of dispersion of the
British Pharmacopoeia, specified in the general monograph entitled ‘Tablets’
applies in relation to that tablet.
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22 General requirements
The requirements of this Part are specified in relation to pills.
23 Appearance
Pills must be:
(a) uniform in appearance and colour; and
(b) without adhesion.
24 Water content
The following requirements are specified in relation to water content:
(a) honeyed pills and concentrated honeyed pills must not contain more than
15.0% water;
(b) water-honeyed pills and concentrated water-honeyed pills must not contain
more than 12.0% water; and
(c) watered pills, pasted pills and concentrated watered pills must not contain
more than 9.0% water.
Note: No determination of water content is required for waxed pills.
25 Weight variation
(1) The weight variation in relation to a dripping pill is specified in the table in
Part 1 of Schedule 3.
(2) The weight variation in relation to a sugar pill is specified in the table in Part 2 of
Schedule 3.
(3) The weight variation for other pills, which are not dripping pills or sugar pills, is
specified in the table in Part 3 of Schedule 3.
(4) The core weight variation of sugar-coated pills, which are not dripping pills or
sugar pills, must be examined before coating.
Note: Weight variation testing after coating is not required for sugar-coated pills, but must be
undertaken for all other-coated pills.
26 Disintegration
(1) The following requirements are specified in relation to the pills mentioned in the
table in Part 4 of Schedule 3 (the relevant pills):
(a) a test for disintegration (the test) must be performed, subject to the
remainder of this section, in accordance with the methods specified in
either one of the following:
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28 Elemental impurities
(1) The maximum concentration limits in relation to the following elements:
(a) arsenic;
(b) cadmium;
(c) lead; and
(d) mercury;
are specified in the table in Part 6 of Schedule 3.
(2) The total mass of each of the elements referred to in subsection (1) in the pill
must be within the permitted daily exposure limit specified for that element in:
(a) chapter <2232> Elemental Contaminants in Dietary Supplements of the
United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary; or
(b) the ICH Q3D Guideline.
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