Information for
Patients
DISCLAIMER: This page is for educational and information purposes only. Aruma Labs recommends that any individual with a medical condition seek advice from their primary care physician before considering or making any alteration to their health regimen.
Australian patients can access legal medicinal cannabis products via their treating doctor or specialist. If your medical practitioner believes medicinal cannabis will help treat your condition, they may prescribe appropriate medicinal cannabis products through special access pathways available for unregistered medicines including:
o The Special Access Scheme (SAS)
o The Authorised Prescriber Scheme
o Approved Clinical Trials
Eligibility
For patients, the first step is to discuss medicinal cannabis with your doctor. If they agree medicinal cannabis is appropriate, they will need to decide which medicinal cannabis product to prescribe to you, and get any necessary government approvals. For information about talking with your doctor about medicinal cannabis, see the following link: Talking With Your Doctor
Generally speaking, your doctor will assess the following factors to determine your eligibility for medicinal cannabis:
- Is there sufficient evidence (in the form of clinical studies or research) to justify the use of medicinal cannabis for your medical condition/illness?
- Have you taken or tried other medications to treat your medical condition/illness which have been ineffective or produced significant side effects?
- Are there any contraindications or lifestyle factors which would make medicinal cannabis unsuitable for treating your medical condition/illness?
Once your doctor has received the required approvals, they will issue a prescription to you. You can then take this prescription to any pharmacy to have your medicinal cannabis product dispensed.
Accessing Medicinal Cannabis
Australian patients can access legal medicinal cannabis products via their treating doctor or specialist, if they believe medicinal cannabis will help treat your condition. Medical practitioners may prescribe appropriate medicinal cannabis products through through one of the following three pathways:
Special Access Scheme (SAS)
Doctors may apply for medicinal cannabis for their patient via the TGA’s online portal. If the patient is eligible, applications are generally approved within 48 hours.
Authorised Prescriber
An Authorised Prescriber (AP) is a doctor who has applied to the TGA for authorisation to prescribe a specific product for a specific condition or class of conditions. Once a doctor is an Authorised Prescriber, they may prescribe without the need to apply to the TGA for each individual patient.
Clinical Trials
There are many clinical trials occurring across Australia investigating the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis for specific medical conditions. To learn more about accessing medicinal cannabis through a clinical trial, contact us.
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Talking with your doctor
If you’re wondering whether medicinal cannabis might benefit your condition, your first step should be to have a conversation with your current treating medical practitioner. A primary care physician with an understanding of your medical history or a specialist who has been treating your specific condition will usually be the best medical professional to speak with you regarding receiving a prescription for medicinal cannabis. Medical professionals not yet knowledgeable about the medical use of cannabis may hesitate to prescribe it, which is why it is vital for patients to open up the discussion by sharing clinical research and relevant documentation with their doctors.
Presenting relevant clinical studies which provide evidence that medicinal cannabis may treat your medical condition or unwanted symptoms, will enable you to have a well-informed discussion with your doctor about medicinal cannabis as a treatment option. It is also important to note that you understand that cannabis is unlikely to replace your current medical regimen, but can potentially be integrated as part of a larger treatment plan.
There are many excellent peer-reviewed studies and guidance documents available online, including those produced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE).
What if my Doctor doesn’t think medicinal cannabis is right treatment for me?
Medicinal cannabis is a relatively new treatment and some medical professionals may not yet feel sufficiently informed to prescribe it. If you feel strongly that medicinal cannabis could benefit your medical condition, you may wish to seek a second opinion from another doctor.
Seeking a second opinion for important healthcare decisions from another healthcare professional can give you reassurance about a decision or give you the opportunity to opt for a different choice about a diagnosis or treatment.
Prescription Costs
The cost to fill a medicinal cannabis prescription will vary considerably dependent on the dosage required and the product prescribed. Most cannabis products currently available in Australia do not have a subsidy on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, so patients will generally need to cover the costs of filling the prescription out of pocket, although private health funds may offer rebates to eligible patients through prescription medicines extras cover. On average, medicinal cannabis patients can expect to spend around $5-$15 per day, although costs can be substantially higher for patients with conditions that require very high doses.
Private Health Cover
Most Australian private health funds cover medical cannabis in some form, provided patients have cover with the appropriate allowances for prescription medicines.
Generally speaking, private health funds will require the following information to process a reimbursement:
- Copy of your TGA approval
- A letter from your doctor setting out that the prescription is required for your treatment
- A receipt from the pharmacy that shows the medication was not covered by the PBS
Note: Most private health insurers will only reimburse products that have been prescribed via the Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber pathways. Compounded medicinal cannabis products are generally not eligible for reimbursement. Patients should confirm medicinal cannabis is covered by their health fund prior to submitting a prescription to the pharmacy for dispensing.
Doctor Directory
In the menu below you will find a list of clinics and medical practitioners that are experienced with medicinal cannabis.
Please contact the clinic or practitioner directly to ask about consultation fees and appointment availability.
If you require further assistance finding a doctor, please contact us at 1 300 30 10 10 or fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch to assist.
Frequently asked
Questions
Frequently asked Questions
DISCLAIMER: This page is for educational and information purposes only. Aruma recommends that any individual with a medical condition seek advice from their primary care physician before considering or making any alteration to their health regimen.