How to Get Medical Cannabis in Australia

‍While over 130 medical conditions have been approved and deemed eligible for prescription, many patients are still unsure about how to access prescription natural medicines.  

In this article, we’ll help you understand your options and eligibility when it comes to legally accessing natural prescription medicine as a patient in Australia.

What Are Prescription Natural Medicines?

Prescription natural medicines (historically known as Medical Marijuana) are classed as any natural product that has been approved for therapeutic use and has been prescribed by a doctor to potentially help alleviate the symptoms of a given medical condition. 

One of the main differences between prescribed natural medicines and natural medicines that are taken recreationally is that prescriptions are made with individual patients' needs and symptoms in mind. 

Because recreational natural medicines are unregulated in Australia, you won't have transparency around the origins, ingredient content, quality, or safety of what you're consuming. 

With legally obtained prescription natural medicine, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting in your treatment, and how it can potentially help with your individual symptoms and medical condition/s.

While the recreational use of natural medicine (any use of natural medicines without a valid prescription) remains illegal in all states and territories except the ACT, prescription natural medicines are legal in every state and territory within Australia. 

Are Prescription Natural Medicines Legal in Australia? ‍

Prescription natural medicine has been legal Australia-wide since 2016. Despite being legal since 2016, prescription natural medicines are still considered an ‘unapproved’ medicine. In order for you to access prescription natural medicine, your doctor must first gain approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration — the regulatory body that doctors apply to when seeking approval for patient prescriptions.

Am I Eligible for Prescription Natural Medicine?

So, you’ve learnt what prescription natural medicine is… but are you eligible? 

Even though these medications have been legal in Australia since 2016, there are still many misconceptions about who can obtain prescriptions.

Although it is always best to learn about the process and eligibility criteria yourself, it is your prescribing doctor’s responsibility to assess your condition and decide whether prescription natural medicine would be beneficial for you.

Criteria may sound like a daunting word to come up against when seeking out treatments, but don’t let it scare you away. The boxes you need to check off when considering your eligibility are: 

✅ You have a chronic medical condition – (e.g. your symptoms have lasted 3+ months)

✅ You have tried other treatments to treat your condition

✅ Other treatments haven’t alleviated your symptoms or have had adverse effects, or you are concerned about the side effects of treatments suggested to you.

Pathways to Accessing Prescription Natural Medicine

If you’re a patient considering incorporating prescription natural medicine historically known as Medical Marijuana (more on that here) into your treatment plan, there are three pathways you can take to access it:

• Special Access Scheme
• Authorised Prescriber
• Clinical trials 

Special Access Scheme 

Like other prescription medicines, your doctor can write a prescription for you after assessing your eligibility, medical condition/s, and other treatments you have tried. The Special Access Scheme allows your doctor to obtain approval to prescribe natural medicine from the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA). Once the TGA approves your doctor’s request, your doctor can organise access to treatments and write up prescriptions.  

While this might sound complicated, it is the most commonly used pathway to access prescription natural medicine. Unfortunately, many GPs aren’t well informed or prepared to go through this process with patients, so this pathway might not always be accessible. 

Although reliable information is shared more regularly now, unfortunately, stigma and misinformation can still get in the way of patients seeking support.

Authorised Prescriber

An Authorised Prescriber (AP) is a doctor who has already applied for and received the authority from the TGA to write prescriptions for natural medicine for specified patients. These practitioners don’t need to apply for approval from the TGA for individual patient prescriptions as they are pre-approved.

One of the benefits of taking this pathway is that APs are experts in prescribing natural medicine and can write prescriptions as soon as they have assessed your eligibility. This means you’ll experience none of the wait time associated with other prescription natural medicine access pathways, such as the SAS pathway. 

A possible limitation that could arise when considering this route is that it’s not always easy to know if there is an AP located near you. We recommend conducting your own research to determine if there are any available APs in your area, or opting for an online clinic like Polln who offers telehealth consultations with Authorised Prescribers instead. 

Clinical Trials

This pathway might not be the right option for everyone, but there is an urgent need for participants in clinical trials. As the demand for prescription natural medicine grows, so does the number of clinical trials.

Prescription Natural Medicine Cards

Unlike patients in the USA and some other countries, Australian patients do not need, nor will they receive, a prescription natural medicine card to access prescription natural medicine. 

Instead, Australian patients simply need to obtain a prescription from a healthcare professional using one of the above pathways to access their treatments legally. Your prescription will allow you to access the specific medications you have been prescribed and will be an important document to have handy in case you need to verify your legal patient status to law enforcement while on the move.

I Know My Options Now, but How Long Will This Take? ‍

Wait times will vary between each access pathway, but the fastest route is through Authorised Prescribers as these practitioners don’t need to wait for the TGA to approve prescriptions. 

If you’re looking into the SAS pathway, note that it can take between 24–72 hours for your doctor to get a response from the TGA before your script can be provided to you, or your treatments made available.

How Do I Know Where to Start?

If you’ve read this article and are still feeling overwhelmed or confused – breathe. It might be daunting to begin this process, but there are guides you can follow and support you can access to help you along the way. To break this all down into simple steps:

Step 1
Read up on facts and reliable information so you can make informed decisions. Learn about what prescription natural medicines are, and how they can help you.

‍Step 2
Check your eligibility.

Step 3
Consider which option is best for you – GPs, Authorised Prescribers, or clinical trials.

Step 4
Prepare to reach out. Once you’ve done your research and chosen your access pathway, it’s time to reach out to a doctor, an Authorised Prescriber, or an organisation running clinical trials for prescription natural medicine.

Increasing Access for Patients in Australia

As the industry has expanded, we've seen and continue to see the following positive changes in the prescription natural medicine industry:

• More doctors and patients are learning about the pathways to accessing prescription natural medicine
• The cost is still a barrier for potential patients, but the price is declining as more products become available
• The waiting time between seeking prescriptions and receiving products is decreasing
• The negative stigma around natural medicine is slowly declining 
• Clinical trials are increasing