Medical Access

[merl1n]

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

[MongyMan]

I would much rather both govt and big pharma had nothing to do with the whole process, but let's face it, that was never going to happen

 

 Don't get me wrong merl I'm not saying you shouldn't be trying to get access this way even with their blatant price gouging if you can afford it. Unfortunately the majority who need it are not in this position.   Nor am I anti pharm regulated cannabis products. Those products also have a place and some people want them BUT they shouldn't be Australian's only option to access medical cannabis.

 

 

They say the costs will reduce over time, let's see.

 

You can also poop in one hand and wait for rainbows to fill the other and when first hand is full, clap.... I'm betting we dont get covered in rainbows.

 

It's no surprise Australia is getting Pharm only cannabis really because that is what has been fought for by the majority and is now being accepted as a positive step by many. 

 

In Dec of 2015 the Medical Cannabis Advisory Group Queensland and patients successfully lobbied the QLD Gov. and got state law changes made to access - cannabis access and supply comes under state law - allowing any registered medical practitioner in QLD to prescribe cannabis medicine in any form and for any reason they believed it was of a medical use. A legal local supply was still an issue though which those with a business interest saw as an opportunity to cash in on and many pro cannabis groups and patients interpreted to mean the changes were just about big pharm wanting to import their products unfortunately which could not have been further from the truth and they chose not to back the changes.

 

Since then those laws have all been changed again and a federal TGA system that allows ONLY pharm cannabis has been put in place instead. This is wholly and solely because it was not just those with a vested business or research grant interest (which was always to be expected) but also the majority of the members of the Australian cannabis community supposedly fighting for the patients such as Nimbin Hemp Embassy, Mullaway's Medical Cannabis P/L, MCUA Inc., Lucy Haslam (United in compassion Inc.), Steve Dickson, Barry Lambert and a list of many others who have all jumped on the 'cash cow' band wagon and lobbied the government for a regulated TGA pharm cannabis system just to allow them to get a licence to sell you cannabis. Ironically many of these people wanting to 'cash in' are now complaining they are now also cut out of the big pharm system we have now and some are moving back to fighting for the patients again instead of business interest thank goodness.

 

End of the day in other parts of the world like America etc. it was the patients who fought for access and won not business. Business were the Johnny come latelys which is why its not been monopolised to just big pharm cannabis there.

 

In Australia it's all being left to business to fight so its big pharm winning the fight. Australians need to get smarter and stop backing the businesses and those with a vested profit interest and need to get back to fighting for and backing the patients over business or nothing will change ever.

[MongyMan]

 I want to know which cannabinoid is giving me the benefit. 'Johnno' can give me that.

 

This is exactly why I see there is also a place for pharm medical cannabis merl it just shouldn't be the only option

[merl1n]

Hey Len,

Look, I agree, but let's face it, other than for their own remunneration packages or tax/fee increases, when was the last time govt went full tilt on an approval without some sort of enquiry or trial period. They will always go slowly, slowly.

Mongy's analogy of rainbows comes to mind with the likelihood of a direct route. The only way canna is going to get accepted is by going down the medical line and all meds need to travel this approval crap. I'd absolutely love to have legal access to whole plant medicine, but we need little steps to at least to get this journey started

P.S. I'd rather entice the tiger to the boat. Show the tiger it's not as bad as they thought, rather than whack/poke the tiger with a stick.

 

Hey Mongy,

And I agree with you too.

For decades canna was seen as having no medical benefits at all, being seen solely as a recreational drug, so for years the states all went "Well, that's a Federal Govt regulation" when it came to medical. Then a state acts on it's own while the other states are all still sitting around talking but doing SFA and pushing the same old line "Well, that's a Federal Govt regulation". Then the Fed govt changes the rules for every state, moving the goal posts and incorporating the Qld laws. This is what happens when the states give away their right of say to the Feds.

This Fed govt is ALWAYS going to support big business over little people. ALWAYS. Pharmas should NEVER be involved in the process anyway, they have a vested interest. That's a perfect example of 'a conflict of interest'.

Edited July 27, 2019 by merl1n

[merl1n]

OK, so the script has been written and sent to one of the prescriber's 'Participating' pharmacies.

This particular pharmacy is in Brisbane, but as the medication is listed as 'S8' they do not hold any in stock and it needs to be ordered in, which will take a couple of days (usually) so they tell me.

The cost from this pharmacy is $290 for a 50ml bottle, delivered, still not cheap, but cheaper than anywhere else I've found.

[AquaDolly]

OK, so the script has been written and sent to one of the prescriber's 'Participating' pharmacies.

This particular pharmacy is in Brisbane, but as the medication is listed as 'S8' they do not hold any in stock and it needs to be ordered in, which will take a couple of days (usually) so they tell me.

The cost from this pharmacy is $290 for a 50ml bottle, delivered, still not cheap, but cheaper than anywhere else I've found.

Hope it works out ok. If the chemist is at Annerly then it's for a very good reason because that chemist is open 24/7 Hardings I think the name is.

 

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

[merl1n]

No, not in Annerly. This one's in Belmont.

[merl1n]

"Houston, we have a problem"

The prescriber wrote the script. Tick

The script was then to be placed in a Fastpost envelope and sent to the pharmacy in Belmont, Qld. Tick

I was advised to call the pharmacy to pay for the medication.

Upon calling the pharmacy was told they have not received the script. WTF.

Fast post has a tracking number, checked the tracking number.

The script is in Belmont, WA. On the other side of the country. WTF.

 

The prescriber is blaming Auspost. Auspost is blaming the prescriber. 

 

Someone's fucked up. Tsk

[kloud9]

O dear Merlin..

 

Either way you look at, the Gov has fucked up... again...

 

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Edited July 31, 2019 by kloud9

[MongyMan]

O dear Merlin..

 

Either way you look at, the Gov has fucked up... again...

 

Posted from the OZ Stoners mobile app

 

Don't be so fast to blame the gov k9...this is just the system that was asked for by the majority of business and cannabis lobby groups in Australia. The gov made it legal in Qld at the end of 2015 in all forms including raw bud. It was Australian companies and lobby groups that asked for those laws to be changed not the gov.

 

FFS even groups like the Nimbin Hemp Embassy, Mullaways Medical Cannabis, United in Compassion Inc. etc. have repeatedly over many years specifically asked the gov to NOT allow home growing in their gov submissions etc in preference for the system we have now in the belief it would give them a license to grow and sell you cannabis. It's not about the patients, Its not about gov greed its about too many in the Australian cannabis community just trying to get their finger in the pie.

[kloud9]

Don't be so fast to blame the gov k9...this is just the system that was asked for by the majority of business and cannabis lobby groups in Australia. The gov made it legal in Qld at the end of 2015 in all forms including raw bud. It was Australian companies and lobby groups that asked for those laws to be changed not the gov.

 

FFS even groups like the Nimbin Hemp Embassy and Mullaways Medical Cannabis etc. have repeatedly over many years specifically asked the gov to NOT allow home growing in their gov submissions etc in preference for the system we have now in the belief it would give them a license to grow and sell you cannabis. It's not about the patients, Its not about gov greed its about too many in the Australian cannabis community just trying to get their finger in the pie.

Wow, u didn't get mongy, Au post is owned by gov = gov fucked up.

 

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