MAXIMUM dosage levels for Pharmacist-Only medicinal cannabis products "simply won't do the job" for thousands of patients, Federal Shadow Health Minister, Mark Butler, believes.
Speaking in the House of Representatives yesterday, Butler voiced support for the Narcotic Drugs Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2021, but added "there still remains much to be done in the emerging area of therapeutic use of medicinal cannabis".
"Frankly, the Government doesn't appear to be doing much in that area, particularly in the area of improving access for patients across the country to safe, affordable and effective medicinal cannabis products," he said.
Butler noted that an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report found 600,000 patients were using medicinal cannabis products to treat chronic conditions, however, just 5% were accessing the medicines through the Special Access Scheme, while others were sourcing them "outside the legal framework".
He added that the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA's) decision to allow products containing a maximum daily dose of 150mg of cannabidiol (CBD), to be dispensed over-the-counter (OTC) by pharmacists, would do little for many patients who could benefit from higher dose CBD medicines.
"A range of patient advocacy groups have indicated that that is a sub-therapeutic dose," he said.
"For many, many conditions 150mg a day simply won't do the job.
"The other point I'd make is that, even though this decision has now been made and is in operation, there are actually no products on the register that activate the decision.
"There actually are no approved products that would be able to be sold by a pharmacist to a patient in accordance with this decision.
"So, until there is, this is very much an abstract decision of no particular impact for patients across Australia."
Butler said that under the existing framework the process of gathering evidence and conducting clinical trials to support an application to have a product approved on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods could "potentially take years".
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