Ministers Greg Hunt and Brad Hazzard confirm single Federal-State application process.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research, Brad Hazzard, have just announced new procedures to improve access to medicinal cannabis in NSW.
Instead of both the Commonwealth and NSW Health overseeing approvals, NSW will rely on a single clinical assessment by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Hazzard said the new arrangement “enables a focus on the world-leading cannabis trials under the NSW Government’s $21 million invested into medicinal cannabis…we are committed to supporting doctors wanting to prescribe medicinal cannabis”.
Hunt said the streamlined application process meant doctors wanting to prescribe unregistered cannabis medicines would typically get approval within 36 hours, with the new arrangements set to debut in the coming weeks.
“This approach by NSW to cut red tape and remove barriers is a template for other states to follow,” he said.
More details in Monday’s issue of Pharmacy Daily.