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The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is Australia's government authority responsible for evaluating, assessing and monitoring products that are defined as therapeutic goods, including medicines.
Since 2016, Australian medical and nurse practitioners have been able to prescribe and provide access to unapproved medicinal cannabis products. While there are two medicinal cannabis products that have been evaluated by the TGA for safety, efficacy and quality, and subsequently registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), all other products are still unapproved therapeutic goods.
In Australia it is possible for medical and nurse practitioners to access unapproved therapeutic goods for patients under their care through the Special Access Scheme (SAS) or the Authorised Prescriber (AP) scheme. The SAS allows prescribers, including both registered medical and nurse practitioners, to prescribe medicinal cannabis for a single patient on a case-by-case basis. An Australian-registered medical practitioner can apply to the TGA to become an AP in certain circumstances and can apply for approval of a specific medicinal cannabis category for a class of patients in the practitioner’s immediate care. See the TGA website for more information regarding the SAS and AP scheme.
It is also expected that before applying to access an unapproved good through the SAS or AP pathways, prescribers consider clinically appropriate treatment options that are included in the ARTG.
Joint statement on professional responsibilities for prescribing and dispensing medicines
Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service
MBA Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia
MBA Telehealth consultations with patients guidelines
NMBA Code of Conduct for nurses
NMBA Nurse practitioner Standards for Practice
NMBA Safety and quality guidelines for nurse practitioners
Information for practitioners who provide virtual care
Shared Code of conduct
PharmBA Guidelines for dispensing of medicines
PharmBA Guidelines on compounding of medicines (new version from 1 Oct 2024)
PharmBA Guidelines for proprietor pharmacists
There is a range of information and resources published about medicinal cannabis. The list below is not intended to be exhaustive.
Other government departments have published information and resources about medicinal cannabis.
Some specialist colleges and professional organisations have also published relevant guidance.
