TO CATER for the booming billion-dollar medicinal cannabis market, various clinics that offer both prescription and dispensing services under the one roof have been popping up, often resembling sleek day spas, positioned in tourist hotspots such as the Gold Coast.
Pharmacist Kishan Patel, who co-owns clinics in Coolangatta and Robina with another opening in Logan in Jan, told ABC News the contrast to the once hippy vibe of cannabis was a deliberate choice.
"The idea is to create a welcoming environment as we're not trying to be in a dark alley or a corner somewhere," Patel said, adding, "we want to be proud front and centre".
He explained that his clinics allowed patients to visit an onsite GP to see whether they qualified for medicinal cannabis treatment.
The business model has attracted the attention of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, which has concerns about the recent explosion in the number of online and shop-front clinics that focus solely on providing medicinal cannabis to patients, as opposed to holistic care.
Patel admitted that while there were problems within the rapidly expanding industry, his company was determined to reduce the stigma around the drug.
"It's like any industry, there's good and bad and we feel we're carving out a whole different way of doing things," he remarked.
He added that many of his customers were black-market cannabis users who were switching over to a legal supply.
Patel said his company was looking to grow its "cannabis naive" patient base, those who have never tried the product or weren't aware it could treat symptoms they might be experiencing.
"Our whole premise of being here is to help patients, they're the centre of everything we're doing."
The TGA has issued more than 100 infringement notices totalling nearly $1.3m for alleged unlawful advertising of medicinal cannabis.
Patel said his company hadn't received complaints from regulators and that he obtained legal advice to ensure any pamphlets or videos made by his business were compliant.
"We've learned a lot from day one, a lot of that is making sure we know where the rules are.
"The TGA is there to protect the public, and we advocate for that." JG
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 06 Dec 23
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 06 Dec 23
