CannabisAccess launches initiative to help doctors prescribing medicinal cannabis

CannabisAccess is a new online portal and resource for doctors. It is designed to help them navigate the medicinal cannabis regulatory maze and make it easier for them to be in a position to prescribe medicinal cannabis to their patients.
 
Few healthcare initiatives are attracting as much attention as the changing regulatory environment governing the prescription of medicinal cannabis in Australia.
 
The hype would give those suffering severe conditions the impression that it is easier for them to access medicinal cannabis than it actually is.
 
Doctors face two key issues when responding to patients who may benefit from medicinal cannabis:

• The first is that few doctors were taught about the endocannabinoid system while qualifying and there is no central depository of reference material for those wishing to get up to speed now. 
   
• The second issue is that before doctors are able to prescribe medicinal cannabis, certain approvals and authorisations need to be sought at both federal and state levels.

The site offers a simple, streamlined process for doctors interested in obtaining government approval to prescribe medicinal cannabis. It allows registered healthcare professionals to apply for approval directly through the site, minimizing paperwork and improving success rates by ensuring all information submitted is correct. Our team of medical specialists has already assisted many doctors to obtain approval from the TGA under the Special Access Scheme Category B (SASB). 
 
The site also lists the products that have been approved by the Office of Drug Control for legal import and provides comprehensive reviews of clinical studies that have been conducted.
 
Commenting on the site CannabisAccess, CEO Giles Craig said:

“CannabisAccess supports doctors who want to prescribe medicinal cannabis. Medicinal cannabis falls into the category of unapproved medicines and hence there are tight controls around their prescription. Meeting the necessary requirements can be both onerous and time consuming, particularly the first time you do it. Our aim is to make this process as efficient as possible. We will be continuing to refine the site, delivering more functionality and we would welcome feedback from doctors as to improvements that they would find useful. Our aim is to reduce the time doctors spend on compliance, so that they can spend more time with their patients.”