Table 2.

Drug classification categories among countries⁵⁶

Country	Regulations	Categories of drug	Subcategories
U.S	The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act	Prescription drug	Prescription drug
		Over the counter drug	Over the counter drug#
UK	Medicine Act 1968	Prescription drug	Prescription only drug
		Over the counter drug	Pharmacy Drugs**
			General sale list drugs#
Singapore	Health Product Act	Prescription drug	Prescription only drug
		Over the counter drug	Pharmacy Drugs**
			General sale list drugs#
Malaysia	Poison Act 1952	Prescription drug	Prescription (Group B)
		Over the counter drug	Group C**
			Non-scheduled poisons#
Canada	National Drug Schedule Program	Prescription drug	Prescription (Schedule 1)
		Over the counter drug	Schedule 1
			Schedule 2**
			Schedule 3*
			Unscheduled#
Japan	Pharmaceutical Affairs Act	Prescription drug	Pharmacy Drugs
		Over the counter drug	Guidance mandatory drug##
			Type-1 non-prescription drugs##
			Type-2 non-prescription drugs#
			Type-3 non-prescription drugs#
Philippines	Philippine Pharmacy Act	Prescription drug	Dangerous drug Rx**
			Exempted dangerous drug Rx
			Prescription drug
		Over the counter drug	Over the counter drugs**
			Household remedies#
Australia	Therapeutic Goods Act 1989	Prescription drug	Prescription only drug
		Over the counter drug	Pharmacy medications (Schedule 2)#
			Pharmacist only medications (Schedule 3)**
			General sales medications#
Thailand	The Drug Act (No.6) A.D. 2019	Prescription drugs	Controlled drug
		Over the counter drug	Dangerous drugs**
			Non-dangerous drugs*
			Household remedies#

^#General sale medicine or sales can be done by a non-pharmacist employee; *Open-shelf medicines; **behind the counter drugs; ^##transition drug category and require pharmacist dispensing to evaluate the safety of drug