Medical Cannabis
About medical cannabis
Medicinal cannabis may be prescribed in any form (e.g. oils, capsules, flower, spray) by a doctor for specific medical purposes. Doctors and patients may prefer one format over another, for example the oil format is currently the most prescribed medical cannabis format in Australia.
Medicinal cannabis may be suitable for patients that have exhausted medicine options. The TGA notes as with all therapies, medical practitioners must exercise their professional judgment in determining the appropriate medicine for an individual patient.
At this time the TGA suggest that the use of medicinal cannabis may be considered only when registered medicines have been tried and proven unsuccessful in managing the patient’s symptoms or medical condition.
TGA approved indications for medicinal cannabis prescriptions
Like other unapproved medicines, unapproved medicinal cannabis is prescribed through TGA Special Access Scheme, Authorised prescribers or Clinical Trials. To date, the TGA has approved medicinal cannabis for indications including, but not limited to:
Medicinal Cannabis, including Bod MediCabilis, is prescription only medicine. Pharmacies can order the medicine directly from Bod once the relevant approved and prescriptions are received.
Being informed on medicinal cannabis as a legal treatment option will help give you the confidence in starting this important conversation with your doctor and support you in asking about your treatment plan.
Medicinal cannabis can be prescribed for any chronic indication where there is supporting clinical evidence for its use and after all clinically appropriate treatment options have been considered.
Medicinal cannabis products exist in various forms with oils being the dominant and preferred method of delivery. Medicinal cannabis products can also be found as capsules, dry flower, oromucosal spray, lozenges and creams – with new methods of delivery continually being developed.
Our medical cannabis innovations cover a wide range of products addressing the health needs of patients and consumers alike.
- Chronic pain, including cancer and neuropathic pain
- Chemotherapy-induced symptoms including nausea and vomiting
- Muscle spasticity and tremors, including epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease
- Palliative care
- Autism and attention deficit disorders
- Anxiety
Prescribing medical cannabis
Any medical doctor is eligible for prescribing medicinal cannabis products to an individual patient through the TGA Special Access Scheme.
Some doctors prefer to become Authorised Prescribers to prescribe the same medicinal cannabis for the same condition to a number of patients.
Many doctors also opt into ‘Shared-Care’, sharing the patient care with a doctor specifically trained and experienced in using medicinal cannabis.
