❓ Dr. Walker questions the government on the prevalence of fibromyalgia in WA and actions to ensure affordable access to medicinal cannabis for treatment, citing a Mayo Clinic study. The Minister acknowledges prevalence and existing access mechanisms.
AnsweredQoN 399Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MEDICAL CANNABIS — FIBROMYALGIA
399. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to a recent
paper from the Mayo Clinic Integrative Medicine and Health, suggesting that 82 per cent of patients taking cannabis—medicinal
or recreational—as the result of a fibromyalgia diagnosis reported improvements in their pain symptoms.
(1) How common is fibromyalgia in Western
Australia?
(2) Given that
medicinal cannabis is also a legitimate and recognised treatment for many of
the secondary issues, such as mental health
symptoms and sleep disturbance, often experienced by fibromyalgia patients ,
what is the Cook government doing to ensure that medicinal cannabis is both
available and affordable as a treatment in these cases?
399. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to a recent
paper from the Mayo Clinic Integrative Medicine and Health, suggesting that 82 per cent of patients taking cannabis—medicinal
or recreational—as the result of a fibromyalgia diagnosis reported improvements in their pain symptoms.
(1) How common is fibromyalgia in Western
Australia?
(2) Given that
medicinal cannabis is also a legitimate and recognised treatment for many of
the secondary issues, such as mental health
symptoms and sleep disturbance, often experienced by fibromyalgia patients ,
what is the Cook government doing to ensure that medicinal cannabis is both
available and affordable as a treatment in these cases?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Health.
(1) Fibromyalgia
is experienced by between two per cent and five per cent of Australians in
their lifetimes, with peak incidence in middle-aged females.
(2) Medicinal
cannabis is accessible as a prescription medicine in Western Australia. The Western
Australian government supports the existing commonwealth approach to the
funding of prescription medicines in the community and continues to maintain
mechanisms for access to unfunded high-cost medicines in exceptional
circumstances through WA Health service providers.
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Health.
(1) Fibromyalgia
is experienced by between two per cent and five per cent of Australians in
their lifetimes, with peak incidence in middle-aged females.
(2) Medicinal
cannabis is accessible as a prescription medicine in Western Australia. The Western
Australian government supports the existing commonwealth approach to the
funding of prescription medicines in the community and continues to maintain
mechanisms for access to unfunded high-cost medicines in exceptional
circumstances through WA Health service providers.
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