Queensland: State Approval for Special Access Scheme (SAS) - Access to "unapproved cannabis medicines"
We are still waiting on Queensland Health to provide a form and the process for applying for State approval and have been advised by Q Health that this has been held up waiting on the TGA to finalise some issues.
Q Health have advised that the form and process will be available on their website shortly and have also confirmed that the process will be:
1. Your doctor first needs to obtain SAS treatment approval by completing the Category B form and faxing to the TGA. The TGA will send an approval letter to the doctor.
2. State approval - doctor/patient completes the form once available on the Queensland Health website.
3. If approved and the cannabis is available from an Australian drug importer; or a medical cannabis company as part of a trial, the doctor or a pharmacist can send both forms to that company to organise supply.
4. If the cannabis medicine needs to be imported - the doctor or a pharamacist needs to make a separate application to the import section of the TGA for an import permit and licence and attaches both the SAS treatment approval letter and State approval form.
5. If approved the import section of the TGA will issue the permit and licence to the doctor or pharmacist. A patient cannot apply for the permit or licence.
6. A copy of the import permit and licence will then need to be sent to the exporter who will need to have permission from the exporting country to export to Australia. Canada has given several companies approval to export ie Tliray. We are waiting for confirmation on other countries however most countries have a similar program to the SAS and export should be able to be arranged through these programs.
If you are interested in accessing "unapproved" cannabis medicines speak with your doctor and pharmacist and research what products you are considering using.
Provide your doctor with as much information as possible i.e: product information and details of the company willing to supply.
The patient/carer needs to give the doctor written informed consent assuming full responsibility for all and any adverse outocmes of using the "unapproved" treatment as well being responsiblle for costs involved such as payment for goods and import, export and shipping fees.
We will post more updates here and on our website when available and will also be meeting with Queensland Health in the coming weeks to discuss supply issues including compassionate supply and funding for patients suffering genuine financial hardship as well as proposals for local supply.
Our main goals for this year will be affordable local supply and our amnesty program to give protection for patients growing their own or obtaining it from the illlcit market which can also be the basis for a State program.
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Question
..............................
FYI
QLD only
Seems like a lot of paper work and hoop jumping
but a step in the right direction none the less
Queensland: State Approval for Special Access Scheme (SAS) - Access to "unapproved cannabis medicines"
We are still waiting on Queensland Health to provide a form and the process for applying for State approval and have been advised by Q Health that this has been held up waiting on the TGA to finalise some issues.
Q Health have advised that the form and process will be available on their website shortly and have also confirmed that the process will be:
1. Your doctor first needs to obtain SAS treatment approval by completing the Category B form and faxing to the TGA. The TGA will send an approval letter to the doctor.
2. State approval - doctor/patient completes the form once available on the Queensland Health website.
3. If approved and the cannabis is available from an Australian drug importer; or a medical cannabis company as part of a trial, the doctor or a pharmacist can send both forms to that company to organise supply.
4. If the cannabis medicine needs to be imported - the doctor or a pharamacist needs to make a separate application to the import section of the TGA for an import permit and licence and attaches both the SAS treatment approval letter and State approval form.
5. If approved the import section of the TGA will issue the permit and licence to the doctor or pharmacist. A patient cannot apply for the permit or licence.
6. A copy of the import permit and licence will then need to be sent to the exporter who will need to have permission from the exporting country to export to Australia. Canada has given several companies approval to export ie Tliray. We are waiting for confirmation on other countries however most countries have a similar program to the SAS and export should be able to be arranged through these programs.
If you are interested in accessing "unapproved" cannabis medicines speak with your doctor and pharmacist and research what products you are considering using.
Provide your doctor with as much information as possible i.e: product information and details of the company willing to supply.
The patient/carer needs to give the doctor written informed consent assuming full responsibility for all and any adverse outocmes of using the "unapproved" treatment as well being responsiblle for costs involved such as payment for goods and import, export and shipping fees.
We will post more updates here and on our website when available and will also be meeting with Queensland Health in the coming weeks to discuss supply issues including compassionate supply and funding for patients suffering genuine financial hardship as well as proposals for local supply.
Our main goals for this year will be affordable local supply and our amnesty program to give protection for patients growing their own or obtaining it from the illlcit market which can also be the basis for a State program.
Thank you
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