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The Pharmacy Board of Australia has released guidelines for the supply of medicinal cannabis in response to the growing number of patients seeking access and the associated risks of misuse.
On 23 September 2025, the Pharmacy Board of Australia released guidelines on the supply of medicinal cannabis to target unsafe supply practices. The guidelines aim to better regulate medicinal cannabis prescriptions that may be endangering patient safety, while also addressing increasing demand from patients.
Many medicinal cannabis products contain THC (delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol), which has potentially addictive properties. As such, they are classified as Schedule 8 medicines (Controlled Drugs) which are substances that should be restricted in distribution and use, to minimise the risk of dependence and abuse. Further, most medicinal cannabis products prescribed in Australia have not been assessed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for safety, quality, performance or effectiveness.
As a result, it is crucial that pharmacists engage in the safe and appropriate supply of prescribed medicinal cannabis, which includes:
- understanding the prescriber's intentions in prescribing medicinal cannabis,
- reviewing the patient's medication history and other relevant information,
- counselling the patient,
- assessing that the medicinal cannabis is safe and appropriate for the patient, and
- contacting the prescriber to discuss any concerns and confirm changes to therapy if required.
It is important for pharmacists to have face-to-face or otherwise direct communication with the patient prior to supplying medicinal cannabis, in order to make a well-informed judgment that the product is appropriate for the patient. It is not enough to rely on the assessment of the prescribing medical practitioner.
Examples of poor practice in supplying medicinal cannabis include:
- supplying excessive quantities of prescribed medicinal cannabis,
- dispensing medicinal cannabis on repeat authorisations without the patient requesting an additional supply,
- supplying multiple prescribed medicinal cannabis products at once to allow the patient to decide which one suits them,
- failing to check whether there are other prescribed and dispensed medications via the Real Time Prescription Monitoring system,
- brand substitution of medicinal cannabis products that does not comply with legislation,
- storage of medicinal cannabis that does not comply with legislation, and
- not appropriately managing a conflict of interest.
There are concerns that misleading advertising for medicinal cannabis prescriptions is increasing access at the cost of patients' wellbeing, especially vulnerable patients. Dr Cameron Phillips, Chair of the Pharmacy Board of Australia, has emphasised that 'patient safety is paramount when supplying prescribed medicines which is no different when supplying medicinal cannabis'.
This is a rapidly evolving area, requiring regulators to continually update their guidelines and regulations. It is essential that practitioners remain informed and up to date with these changes to ensure patient safety and uphold best practice standards.
Pharmacy Board of Australia - Guidance on medicinal cannabis targets unsafe supply
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