Jump to content
  • Sign Up
  • 0

Medical Access


merl1n

Question

A couple of months ago I asked my GP about obtaining cannabis to treat my ongoing symptoms.

"Ohh ahhh, I don't know anything about the processes, I wouldn't know where to start..."

Being that I'm in SA and there being no clinic's here (our state Gov't (Liberal) still have their heads buried firmly up their own arses)  I thought the whole process would be a waste of time

I went investigating and found a clinic in NSW, who would go through the whole process online.

 

So after a couple of weeks of paperwork both from myself and my GP, today I got the call from the clinic and have had the initial approval.

I now have to obtain the approval from the TGA but from what I've been told this should not be a problem and should take less than a week.

The Dr I spoke to has told me that what he would be prescribing is a CBD and THC combination as my situation is pain related.

I asked the Dr about the cost of the medication itself as it is NOT on the PBS and I have to say it is NOT cheap.

The Dr himself would not actually tell me a defined cost but advised me to call the chemist in Victoria.

Upon doing so I was told $270/50ml + postage ($30), so $300 delivered. First thought "Fuck, it'd be cheaper to go buy an ounce" but have decided to follow through with the process.

 

At this point I have not been told of the recommended dosages, so how long that 50ml is going to last I am unsure.

I am also unsure if I may be able to get my local chemist to get it in for me or whether it needs to come from an approved compounding chemist, solely in Victoria.

 

So the processes have been started. The dr and the prepaid TGA approvals have cost me $550 so far (that's without the script itself), so let's see how much more it's gonna cost

When I have any further info I will let you all know.

 

Just thought others maybe interested

Merl1n

  • Upvote 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Recommended Posts

  • 0

Since this whole thread is about access and I noticed that some people have been talking about the ease or lack of ease in getting cannabis I thought I'd share this article which explains the process and might clear up any questions people have:

 

How to access medical cannabis in Australia

 

It's definitely gotten easier over the last 6 months or so. Once upside to COVID is that it expanded the use of telehealth which has definitely spurred things along.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Thanks for everyone who wrote in this thread especially Merl1n.

 

I'm going through the process myself for medical oil although I would hope and pray for GVM as well to chuck in the Volcano.

 

They asked you if youve used cannabis before.

 

Traditional understanding of this would be they are asking so;

 

- They can imply all your neurological or psychological conditions are caused by cannabis use

- Substance abuse, After all any not legal drug would be considered that by a Dr.

- Motivations and honesty about your conditions.

 

As it stands I have a combination of the approved conditions, I know for a fact the majority of my issues are cured by good weed.

 

But the question about previous use... I can only determine it could be used to prevent me access but I'm also worried they might be really tentative with prescribing at risk of the "anxiety effects" of my conditions increasing, Even though I know good weed cures them.

 

Does anyone have any advice for handling this?

 

It could be possible they listen to me, Believe me that literally all the problems Ive experienced for years can be solved by a good THC&CBD combo oil. And the only time i've been miserable has been when I haven't had the medication to solve them.

 

It could also be possible they think "well only give him CBD in case hes just after a high" which to any of us medical users know is really just the absence of a low!

 

Then again, They could alternatively think "hes never had this before , well only give him CBD oil for six months to start" forcing me to keep dealing with it however else I can.

Does anyone have any clues?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Hi Grumpy,

                  I was honest with my doctor and told him how much I smoked and that it helped. I told him I had tried CBD and whilst that did help I got much more relief from the THC.

He made no judgements of me and was grateful for the clinical information, immediately prescribed me THC and a small amount of CBD which has suited me fine.

Mick

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Hey Grumpy,

I do understand where you are coming from here, but from my experience I think you're over analyising it a bit.

It can depend on who you are trying to get the approvals from and their attitude/perception towards canna. I say this because when I initially brought up the subject of canna with a former GP he labelled me as a 'Drug Seeker', which was an absolute joke considering I was on high dose opiates at the time. Some Dr's hear 'canna' and automatically think 'illicit (Illegal) substance' and don't want to be involved in anything illegal. There are studies out there that say that canna exacerbates mental health issues, so some medicos won't support canna use if there is a history of mental health issues. And then there's the mighty AMA (Australian Medical Association) who for years were VERY vocal about the dangers and risks of canna use and yet these same medicos are very much in support of the BIG pharmas. The big pharmaceutical companies are against canna (unless it's them who supply it) because if you are using something natural then you won't be purchasing their chemical concoctions/drugs.

There is also the debate about drug interactions and the studies around canna's interactions have been restricted by governments for decades as canna was labelled as having no medical benefit, hence the 'S8' classification.

 

You state  "I know for a fact the majority of my issues are cured by good weed." and this maybe true BUT often our information is taken as hearsay or seen as anecdotal. Dr's are scientists and scientists like double blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trials and the associated reports from such trials. For decades canna has been seen as having no medical benefit, so such trials have not taken place until relatively recently, but even now some medicos still see canna as causative rather than a management tool when it comes to mental health.

You also state "As it stands I have a combination of about 15 of the approved conditions" Now, some dr's may prescribe 'approved' medications for each condition and many would be less than just reluctant to add another medication to the mix. BUT depending on who you are going through to obtain canna medication, their approach maybe different. I'm trying to reduce my use of the pharma concoctions and considering I have been trialled on a whole chemist shop full of meds over the years, without any great success, the 'approved' canna medication has just been another trial (A trial that has been working, FOR ME.)

 

If you've read through this whole topic you would have seen that GVM is available BUT for 90% of recipients the dr's like to start off with a CBD oil and then progress from there, trying other forms and mixtures. Personally I've been trialled on a few differing 'approved' oils and flos (flower) mixtures to find one that bests meets my needs. My original aim was to eliminate all pharmas, this has not been possible but I have succeeded in reducing my pharma intake MASSIVELY and for me that is a HUGE plus, BUT this did take some time to obtain.

 

Merl1n

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Thanks guys,

 

Your absolutely right merl1n I'm over-analyzing it its what I do! (unfortunately) I appreciate your advice.

Seedsmanpain I'm gunna go with honesty is the best policy and hope the Dr is as sensible as yours. I have experience with CBD oil and I know it helps somewhat but nothing like the full thing. It feels like I need far more of it to soften the other issues then I would if the THC was in there. So its effective but not efficient.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Good luck Grumpy,

                               My Doctor is from an online cannabis clinic and they want to keep their customers. I have found them very reasonable, then again in my previous incarnation as a nurse I was very practiced at presenting a convincing argument for a specific prescription that I wanted.

I think its important to remember that you are your Doctors customer and if you do not feel comfortable enough with that Doctor to be very honest with them maybe you need another Doctor (easier said than done I know).

                                All the best

                                                  Mick

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

"...I was very practiced at presenting a convincing argument for a specific prescription that I wanted..."

I had to have a little chuckle at this. Back in my younger days, armed with a MIMS, goin dr shopping was almost a hobby lol lol lol 

 

On a much more serious note though,

I must agree with Mick "You are your Doctors customer and if you do not feel comfortable enough with that Doctor to be very honest with them maybe you need another Doctor"

Having been put thru the medical wringer more times than I care to remember has hardened me up when it comes to medicos. I don't take their shit anymore. This is about you, not them.

Some medicos put themselves above everybody else, above their patients, and often we allow them to do this. This only feeds their ego. They are human, just like you and I, not Gods.(Despite what their ego is telling them)

Yes, they deserve respect, but so do we and if they don't respect you it's time for a change.

 

I had a good one, he retired and was replaced with a jumped up young prick who needed to have a late night meeting with a baseball bat in a dark alley. I ended up making a formal complaint on the prick.

I had an ask around friends 'Who has a decent dr?'. It took a couple of trials till I found one that worked for me, that was 7yrs ago and I still see the same bloke today.

A good one can be hard to come by, but once you do find a good one, hold onto them.

 

Merl1n

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Answer this question...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using the community in any way you agree to our Terms of Use and We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.