Lost some formatting cutting and pasting. But, with only 23 doctors able to prescribe and over 5 companies on the ASX plus the private ones that will be importing cannabis I don't see any huge profits anytime soon...
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Doctors are sceptical of government plans to give patients faster access to medical cannabis
by importing products.
Health Minister Greg Hunt announced on Wednesday that Australian companies would be
able to import approved cannabis products as a stopgap measure until local products were
available.
Mr Hunt expected a "store" of imported medical cannabis within eight weeks, giving
patients "greater confidence in the supply arrangements for their doctors".
“This is about making certain that once the doctors have made a decision ... the patient will
be able to get rapid access within a matter of days," he said.
However, Melbourne GP and AMA vice-president Dr Tony Bartone said the announcement
would not change the fact that there were very few approved indications.
“All that’s happened here is that it’s increased the availability of sourcing should we have a
patient that falls within the narrow clinical guidelines that warrant therapeutic intervention,”
he told Australian Doctor.
“[This] might create the expectation that it’s suddenly available and it’s open slather,” he
warned.
Meanwhile, Australian Doctor has learned that only 23 doctors in Australia are authorised to
prescribe medical cannabis products under the TGA's Authorised Prescriber Scheme.
Twenty-one of those doctors are from NSW and the other two are from Queensland, a
health department official confirmed.
The NSW doctors are part of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, which has received
approval for the supply of Epidiolex to children with epilepsy as part of a compassionate
access scheme and a clinical trial.
Dr David Caldicott, a medical cannabis policy researcher at the Australian National
University, noted that patients wishing to access medical cannabis would have no idea
whether their doctor was an authorised prescriber.
“The TGA can’t release that information and no one can advertise it. So no one knows who
to turn to,” he said.
“The special access schemes in place to allow prescribing remain opaque and cumbersome.
Right now, as of today, there’s no change for patients.”
Yet the move was welcomed by Dr David Allsop (PhD), a psychopharmacology professor at
the University of Sydney, who said the new arrangements would streamline supply.
But he conceded that most doctors were unable or unwilling to apply for approval to
prescribe medical cannabis to take advantage of the change.
“Most doctors either do not know how to apply, do not have the required training or
expertise to apply, or are politically or philosophically against supporting a medicinal
cannabis application,” he said.
Mr Hunt said the Department of Health would provide more information about easier
access to medical cannabis.
“I’ve asked my department to have an easy access regime available on the website, so that
people can have a one-stop shop.”
(20min delay)