Concerns are rising as a significant number of patients have ordered high-strength cannabis products in the past year, prompting healthcare professionals to call for urgent legislative reform nationwide. The medicinal cannabis industry in Australia has witnessed a surge, with regulators expressing worries about medical practitioners fulfilling their code of conduct responsibilities under the current system.
Legislation changes in 2016 allowed for medicinal cannabis prescriptions, leading to a substantial increase in scripts issued, particularly for high-strength Category 5 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products. Recent data disclosed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) revealed that 374,000 new patients were treated with Category 5 products under the authorised prescriber scheme from July to December last year, and an additional 67,000 patients under the special access scheme.
AHPRA’s analysis highlighted that some health professionals issued an unusually high number of scripts, with one doctor reportedly issuing 17,000 scripts in just six months. This has raised concerns about the ethical implications and conflicts of interest in the prescribing process. In response, AHPRA established a taskforce, the Rapid Regulatory Response Unit (RRRU), to address these issues.
Associate Professor Vicki Kotsirilos, an authorised prescriber, criticized the current business model as unethical and called for legislative changes to prevent such practices. The complexity of regulations and the lack of oversight in prescribing and dispensing medicinal cannabis have been a cause for alarm among healthcare professionals.
Dr. Claire Noonan, a GP from New South Wales, highlighted ethical concerns in her experience working for a medicinal cannabis company, where patients were prescribed quantities exceeding safe limits. She expressed discomfort with the pressure to prescribe against her judgment, raising questions about the ethics of such operations.
AHPRA echoed these concerns, emphasizing the risk of practitioners prioritizing profit over patient safety. The organization received numerous notifications related to medicinal cannabis prescriptions, indicating potential lapses in professional obligations by some practitioners.
Associate Professor Kotsirilos emphasized the need for caution in prescribing Category 5 THC products, citing potential risks such as heightened anxiety and cannabis dependency. While acknowledging the therapeutic benefits in specific cases like palliative care, she cautioned against inappropriate prescribing practices that could lead to adverse outcomes.
RACGP President Dr. Michael Wright called for national reform to standardize regulatory controls and ensure patient safety. The lack of consistency in prescribing rules across states, coupled with the absence of subsidies for these medications, has raised concerns about patient vulnerability and the need for enhanced protections.
As stakeholders across various medical fields express alarm over the escalating risks associated with medicinal cannabis prescribing, the need for stringent regulations and ethical practices in the industry has become increasingly apparent. The ongoing debate underscores the importance of balancing patient care with regulatory oversight to safeguard public health.
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