VICTORIA will not follow the lead of NSW and Queensland in streamlining the approval process for prescribing Schedule 8 (S8)cannabis medications.
Victorian Health Minister, Jenny Mikakos, said the state would retain the requirement for prescribers to seek permits from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and State authorities, until after the recording of prescriptions for S8 medicines through SafeScript becomes mandatory in Apr.
Responding to a proposal by Australian Sex Party MP, Fiona Patten, to scrap the "requirement for a double approval", Mikakos said she was keen to streamline access to the medications, but said the model put forward by Patten could pave the way for prescribers to prescribe homegrown cannabis.
"I am very interested in streamlining the process and streamlining access, but I do not believe these amendments are the way to do this," Mikakos said.
"The Victorian S8 treatment permit system is an important safety oversight mechanism.
"It enables us to allow for the coordination of prescribing S8 drugs of dependency between doctors and to reduce the risk of multiple doctors inadvertently prescribing these drugs for the same patient.
"It also provides information on a patient's history of drug dependency, and effectively it has enabled doctors to make safer clinical decisions.
"I do think that there are opportunities to assess the ongoing role of Schedule 8 treatment permits following the mandatory rollout of SafeScript next year.
"I know there have been anecdotal reports of long delays in other states, but here in Victoria we have a single portal for doctors to apply for Victorian and TGA permits, and we routinely meet the TGA time lines of turning around permit applications within 48 hours."
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