Medicinal Cannabis is a private prescription-only medication. These products can only be prescribed by approved doctors and specialists, and in some states/territories prescriptions may be restricted to specific diagnosed health conditions.
There are a number of requirements that must be complied with before Medicinal Cannabis products can be prescribed and dispensed, depending on your state/territory legislation.
Medicinal Cannabis Regulation in Australia
How is it regulated?
There are two layers of regulation for this prescription only medicine:
At the Commonwealth level through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
At the relevant State/ Territory Government level.
While Commonwealth requirements apply to all prescribers and suppliers, State and Territory Governments have varied regulations as to who can prescribe Medicinal Cannabis.
Getting access to Medicinal Cannabis in Australia
Steps to assist patients access Doctors
The MCMP (which stands for Medicinal Cannabis Medicines Portal (MCMP) www.mcmp.com.au
is an online portal that provides support to patients and healthcare professionals, relating to the prescription and dispensing of Medicinal Cannabis products.
There are significant Commonwealth and State / Territory requirements that doctors and pharmacists must comply with in order to provide Medicinal Cannabis products to patients; the MCMP ensures that all these requirements are met, and provides a fast-tracked pathway to access products, which will ensure you receive your medication as quickly as possible.
The MCMP also allows your doctor and pharmacist to work together to monitor your progress, which will help streamline the process to request repeats of your medication if appropriate.
If you are happy to use the MCMP, your healthcare professional will be able to register you. They will explain how your information will be used, and will update your details in the system. You will be asked to sign a consent form, which will explain how your information will be used in the MCMP. Upon successful registration you will be emailed a unique Patient ID; please make sure you have this ID with you whenever you visit your doctor or nominated MCMP Network Pharmacy.
More Questions
If you have any queries about Medicinal Cannabis, or if you have been prescribed Medicinal Cannabis and have questions about your medication, it is best to speak to your doctor or the dispensing pharmacist.
Contact Us
If you need to contact us with questions, our freecall number is 1800 525 181
More Information
You can view the regulatory requirements via the Department of Health website for your state/territory:
www.health.vic.gov.au
www.health.nsw.gov.au
www.health.qld.gov.au
www.sahealth.sa.gov.au
www.health.wa.gov.au
www.health.act.gov.au
www.health.nt.gov.au
www.dhhs.tas.gov.au
These links to external websites are not provided or maintained by, or in way affiliated with THC Limited AND THC Limited do not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of any information on these external websites or maintained by, or in way affiliated with THC Limited AND THC Limited do not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of any information on these external websites.
Disclaimer
Information and links current as at 15th August 2018. Links will take you to external website to THC Limited’s website, and possibly to a website not based in Australia
The above information is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for independent professional medical advice. Nothing published on this site, including the above information may be considered to be medical advice. The information above may not be used for the diagnosis, curing, treatment or prevention of any diseases or maladies, nor should it be consulted when considering any therapeutic purpose or as a substitute for seeking the advice of a health professional. Please refer to the Company’s Website Policy for more information.