❓ WA parliamentary question regarding access to medicinal cannabis, specifically GP prescribing rights, patient consent forms, and script approvals. The government is reviewing Schedule 8 prescribing but defends other requirements.
AnsweredQoN 894Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MEDICAL CANNABIS — PRESCRIPTIONS
894. Hon COLIN TINCKNELL to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
Can
the minister please provide the following information regarding access to
medicinal cannabis in Western Australia.
(1) Will the
government allow GPs to be able to submit a category B application for both
schedule 4 and schedule 8 medicinal cannabis products without the need for
specialist approval, as is done in New South Wales; and, if not, why not?
(2) Will the
government remove the need for a patient-signed consent form as it is
unnecessary and Western Australia is the only state that requires this
document; and, if not, why not?
(3) Will the
government eliminate the need for script approval for patient prescriptions as
this already gets done at the federal level with the Therapeutic Goods
Administration; and, if not, why not?
894. Hon COLIN TINCKNELL to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
Can
the minister please provide the following information regarding access to
medicinal cannabis in Western Australia.
(1) Will the
government allow GPs to be able to submit a category B application for both
schedule 4 and schedule 8 medicinal cannabis products without the need for
specialist approval, as is done in New South Wales; and, if not, why not?
(2) Will the
government remove the need for a patient-signed consent form as it is
unnecessary and Western Australia is the only state that requires this
document; and, if not, why not?
(3) Will the
government eliminate the need for script approval for patient prescriptions as
this already gets done at the federal level with the Therapeutic Goods
Administration; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. I am advised as follows.
(1) There are no
additional approval requirements through the Western Australian Department of
Health for prescribers in Western Australia for medicinal cannabis in schedule
4. Category B applications refer to the special access scheme under the
commonwealth's therapeutic goods legislation and are not a matter for
the Western Australian government. With respect to approval to prescribe
medicinal cannabis when included in schedule 8, the minister has recently asked
the Department of Health to conduct a review of this policy, with any changes
to be considered, dependent on new or emerging medical evidence around the
risks and benefits of this therapy.
(2) Although
informed patient consent for treatment is ideal, the minister will ask the
department to explore the need to provide evidence of consent as part of the approval
process.
(3) Approvals
required by the Department of Health to prescribe medicinal cannabis are
provided under the authority of the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014. The issues
being considered, such as harm arising from dependence and overuse, are different
from and independent of any decisions of the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Authorisation requirements of the TGA relate to matters of product quality, not
of dependence or individual patient-controlled drug usage patterns.
some notice of the question. I am advised as follows.
(1) There are no
additional approval requirements through the Western Australian Department of
Health for prescribers in Western Australia for medicinal cannabis in schedule
4. Category B applications refer to the special access scheme under the
commonwealth's therapeutic goods legislation and are not a matter for
the Western Australian government. With respect to approval to prescribe
medicinal cannabis when included in schedule 8, the minister has recently asked
the Department of Health to conduct a review of this policy, with any changes
to be considered, dependent on new or emerging medical evidence around the
risks and benefits of this therapy.
(2) Although
informed patient consent for treatment is ideal, the minister will ask the
department to explore the need to provide evidence of consent as part of the approval
process.
(3) Approvals
required by the Department of Health to prescribe medicinal cannabis are
provided under the authority of the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014. The issues
being considered, such as harm arising from dependence and overuse, are different
from and independent of any decisions of the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Authorisation requirements of the TGA relate to matters of product quality, not
of dependence or individual patient-controlled drug usage patterns.
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