Medicinal Cannabis

Our clinic is committed to providing compassionate care and exploring innovate treatment options to enhance your well-being. We are pleased to announce that we are now able to prescribe medicinal cannabis to eligible patients.

What is medicinal cannabis?

Medicinal cannabis refers to the use of cannabis and its components, such as cannabinoids, for medical purposes. It involves the prescription of cannabis-based products that have been specifically formulated to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life for patients. These products are derived from the Cannabis sativa plant and contain various compounds, primarily THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), which have therapeutic properties.

Who can benefit from medicinal cannabis?

Medicinal cannabis can be prescribed for a range of conditions and symptoms, offering potential relief to patients who have found other treatment options to be ineffective. Some of the conditions for which medicinal cannabis may be prescribed include, but are not limited to:

Chronic Pain: Medicinal cannabis has been found to have anti-inflammatory / analgesic properties that can help manage chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia or pain associated with multiple sclerosis.

Nausea and Vomiting: Patients undergoing chemotherapy or experiencing nausea and vomiting due to other medical conditions may find relief through the antiemetic effects of medicinal cannabis.

Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders: Certain types of epilepsy, such as Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, have shown positive responses to treatment with specific cannabis-based medications.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Medicinal cannabis may help alleviate symptoms associated with MS, including muscle spasticity, pain, and sleep disturbances.

Palliative Care: In end-of-life care, medicinal cannabis can assist patients in managing pain, improving appetite, and enhancing their overall quality of life.

Endometriosis: Medicinal cannabis has been found to be effective for many symptoms associated with endometriosis, including pelvic pain, gastrointestinal (stomach) issues, poor sleep / insomnia, low mood.

Who is elegible for this appointment type?

If you believe you may benefit from medicinal cannabis or would like to explore this treatment option, please speak to your regular GP at The Garden Family Medical Clinic and seek an internal referral to see Dr Viknesh Palan. We are currently accepting only existing patients of the clinic for this appointment type and patients must be 17 years or older.

It is important to note that the decision to prescribe medicinal cannabis is made on an individual basis, following a thorough assessment by one of our GP’s, Dr Viknesh Palan. Click here for more information about Dr Viknesh Palan.

More information on medicinal cannabis

What's involved during the consult?

Medical History Review

The consultation begins with the doctor taking a thorough medical history of your condition.

Here you will discuss past treatments and how they have failed to fully relieve your symptoms.

It’s good to write a list of your past medications tried so that you have this info available for the doctor. If the medications tried have caused any side effects, it’s good to note these down as well to discuss with the doctor.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for medical cannabis, you must have tried at least one prescription medication which has either failed to fully control your symptoms or has intolerable side effects.

Medical cannabis cannot be a first line treatment. It also doesn’t need to be a last line treatment – the requirement is that you must have tried at least one conventional medication. The doctor will confirm your eligibility based on your history.

Contraindications & Drug Interactions

It’s important to discuss your medical history before starting medical cannabis treatment as there are a few cases where medical cannabis may not be appropriate.

For example, cannabis use is not recommended if a person has a history of hypersensitivity to cannabinoids, psychosis, schizophrenia, substance abuse, severe cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, renal, or liver disease1. Cannabis should be used with caution in patients receiving concomitant therapy with sedative-hypnotics or other psychoactive drugs.

Furthermore, it’s not recommended for cannabis to be used by women of childbearing age without reliable contraception, who are breastfeeding, pregnant and/or planning to become pregnant.

Medical cannabis can potentially interact with other medications you might be taking. CBD has been shown to inhibit liver metabolic enzymes, such as CYP450 and carboxylesterase 1 (CES 1)2. Thus, CBD may alter the pharmacology of other pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and other non-pharmaceutical drugs.

*Please note this is not medical advice and is general in nature – you will need to speak with the doctor directly to determine if medical cannabis is appropriate and safe for your condition.

Product Selection

There are now over 200 medical cannabis products available to prescribe legally in Australia. The doctor will recommend a product based on your condition and other influencing factors.

Products generally fall into 3 categories: CBD only, Balanced (CBD + THC) and THC only.

Flower products (for vaporization) have much faster onset than oils but don’t last as long. The effects of oil or capsules will last much longer than flower, but onset is 1-2 hours sometimes.

The doctor will discuss the practicalities of different products and find one most suited for your situation. For example, for neuropathic pain the doctor might prescribe a balanced oil to start.

Some patients may find they need to trial more than one product to find the optimum formulation and dosing to help their symptoms. The doctor will discuss the different product options with you and decide on a plan moving forward.

Oils generally start at $100-150 per bottle while flower (for vaporization) usually costs around $150 for a 10 gram container.

Treatment Plan

Once you and the doctor decide on a product (or products) the doctor will explain the titration process and next steps.

There is no set dosing as cannabis affects everyone differently. Titration is the process of starting with a very low dose and slowly working your way up to the minimum effective dose. This is the optimal dose where symptoms are managed with little to no side effects.

The doctor will provide the pharmacy with a titration guide which the pharmacy will provide to you along with the medication. The doctor will generally advise to book in a follow up appointment in 2-4 weeks’ time to assess progress, discuss any side effects and change medication and dosage if required.

TGA Approval

After your appointment the doctor will put together an application for a medical cannabis permit and submit to the TGA. If the doctor is an Authorized Prescriber they will be able to prescribe without needing to wait for a TGA approval.

Once approved, the doctor will then write the script and send both the script and approval to our preferred pharmacy.

The pharmacy will send you a text when this is done and will give you a call to arrange payment and delivery of the medication.

I have my internal referral, what next?

Fees

LOCATIONS

Unit 9, 170 Murdoch Drive
Murdoch WA 6150
Unit 14a, 12 Erade Drive
Piara Waters WA 6112

CONTACT

(08) 6186 7992
(08) 6186 7993
hello@thegardenmedical.com

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In the spirit of reconciliation, The Garden Family Medical Clinic acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Unit 9, 170 Murdoch Drive
Murdoch WA 6150
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Unit 14a, 12 Erade Drive
Piara Waters WA 6112

(08) 6186 7992

hello@thegardenmedical.com