As we always suspected the TGA’s special access scheme was / is a great way for a few politically connected companies to rake in the cash. The sooner there’s a reality check and the Australia Federal govt allows a grow at home adult use environment that somehow reflects the legislation that the ACT have enacted the better everybody will be.
In essence the special access was actually for a limited amount of comapnies and individuals who could raise capital in order to enrich themselves and their shareholders.
Here’s what the Guardian are reporting today
Prescriptions for unapproved medicinal cannabis products in Australia have quadrupled since 2019, with half issued for adults aged 24 and under.
Researchers and GPs’ representatives have questioned whether the boom has led to patients taking cannabis for conditions where there is little evidence it is effective, given large gaps in the data and the role of cannabis manufacturers in promoting their product to practitioners.
Most prescriptions for medicinal cannabis in Australia are for unapproved products, which means they have not been authorised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for legal supply.
Practitioners must apply to the TGA through the Special Access Scheme for permission to prescribe the products, and show why approved products are not suitable.
Since the start of 2021 the TGA has approved more than 200,000 medicinal cannabis prescriptions through the scheme for people who are not severely ill but who have exhausted evidence-based treatments for their condition. There were 122,486 such prescriptions in 2021 alone, compared with 57,714 in 2020 and 25,516 in 2019.
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