Eligibility for Medicinal Cannabis Treatment

Patients may be eligible for medicinal cannabis treatment if they have the following chronic medical conditions that are not responding to conventional medical treatments:

- Chronic non-cancer pain
- Cancer pain and symptom management
- Neuropathic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Migraine
- Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
- Refractory nausea and vomiting
- Palliative care
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spasticity
- Epilepsy
- PTSD
- Insomnia
- Anorexia
- Dementia
- Parkinson's disease

Making an Initial Appointment

To arrange an initial assessment consultation, please call 02 9411 7916 if you have been diagnosed with any of the chronic conditions mentioned above and believe that you could benefit from medicinal cannabis treatment. The cost for the initial assessment consultation is $180, with a Medicare rebate of $79.7 for eligible Medicare cardholders.

Initial Assessment

The initial assessment typically lasts 30-40 minutes. Your doctor will review your past medical history, investigations, and treatments. Please bring all your previous medical records, specialist letters, and investigation results.

If your medical assessment deems you suitable for medicinal cannabis treatment, your doctor will submit an application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration for special approval of access to medicinal cannabis on your behalf. This application may take 2-3 weeks to complete. Please note that there is no guarantee for the prescription of medicinal cannabis at the initial assessment consultation.

Access to Medicinal Cannabis

Once your application authority is received, you will be provided with a prescription. You will need to contact your local pharmacy to make special arrangements to fill the prescription. Please note that medicinal cannabis is NOT covered under PBS. The cost of the products depends on the manufacturer and concentration.

Follow-Up Appointment

It is essential to follow up with your doctor for dosage adjustments and to assess potential side effects of the treatment. The cost for a follow-up assessment is $90, with a Medicare rebate of $41.2 for eligible Medicare cardholders.