Evidence-based information about medicinal cannabis is now available via a new portal developed by NPS MedicineWise.
The information on the site will help health professionals and consumers to understand the regulatory framework and process required to access medicinal cannabis and provides summaries on the latest evidence for medicinal cannabis.
The content supplements clinical guidance provided by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) are for health professionals and provides additional information for consumer and pharmacist audiences.
Consumer-friendly content on the website includes answers to frequently asked questions in a downloadable article Medicinal cannabis: What would you like to know?, an infographic resource: Is medicinal cannabis suitable for me?, and an explainer article: Medicinal cannabis, explained.
There are also essential resources for pharmacists as well as resources for prescribers, including full evidence summaries with links to the TGA’s clinical guidance and a flowchart for prescribers that outlines the steps to accessing medicinal cannabis.
NPS MedicineWise CEO Adjunct Associate Professor Steve Morris says there’s a lot of interest in how cannabis can be used as medicine – and this means navigating the online information which can be a daunting task.
“Medicinal cannabis is a medicine that Australians want to know more about,” said Mr Morris.
“Accessing clear, accurate and up-to-date information about medicinal cannabis can be challenging for consumers and health professionals because there are many groups with an interest in this area and a complex regulatory environment.
“Medicinal cannabis is a fast-moving area where we will continue to see changes over the coming years as prescribers and patients become more familiar with these products and their potential uses. As the body of evidence grows, we will ensure our medicinal cannabis resources remain relevant and up-to-date for those seeking this information,” says Mr Morris.
