FAQ Pharmacy
The MCP facilitates the supply of medicinal cannabis products from multiple selected manufacturers. All products listed in the MCP will be accessible through approved wholesalers, ensuring prompt delivery of Medicinal Cannabis products to your patients.
The MCP will ensure a wider network of health professionals are involved in the prescribing and dispensing of these medicines which will result in a more effective continuity of care for the patient. The program will enable patients to access their medication irrespective of their geographical location and ensure price consistency and improved compliance.
How do I register my pharmacy to the MCP?
For PharmaPrograms pharmacies you will be able to register to the MCP on the PharmaPrograms portal. For new pharmacies, our team will get in contact with you after you submit the PharmaPrograms expression of interest form available on the MCP.
Where can I find out more about Medicinal cannabis?
There are a number of links to clinical resources contained within the MCP that relate to Medicinal Cannabis. We aim to support all registered healthcare providers, doctors and pharmacists, in their continued professional development.
Further information about the regulatory requirements for Medicinal Cannabis can be found via the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and local state/territory websites:
These links to external websites are not provided or maintained by, or in way affiliated with PharmaPrograms. PharmaPrograms does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of any information on these external websites.
What is the Medicinal Cannabis Program (MCP)?
The MCP will facilitate a streamlined process for the prescribing and dispensing of Medicinal Cannabis and will provide additional support to patients taking Medicinal Cannabis. Initially supply will focus on Manufacturers ‘Sponsors’ who are approved to import bulk supplies of Medicinal Cannabis products under the TGA SAS (Category B) or Approved Prescribers schemes.
How can a patient access Medicinal Cannabis?
Patients will only be able to access ‘approved’ pharmaceutical grade Medicinal Cannabis products if it is deemed appropriate by their treating doctor. Before a prescription can be provided, the appropriate medical practitioner, must obtain permission from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as well an approval to prescribe the product from the local state / territory health department. If an approval is not provided by the TGA and relevant local authority, the doctor will not be able to provide a prescription for Medicinal Cannabis.
What requirements do I need to comply with to dispense Medicinal Cannabis?
Some states and territories may have different requirements for dispensing Medicinal Cannabis. It is important to regularly check the requirements of your state/territory to ensure these requirements are met.
What do I need to provide to my patients?
Patients (or carers) must be provided with the MCP Consent Form to read and provide written consent. Patient must be made aware that the information provided will be used by PharmaPrograms to facilitate the program and support the patient’s treatment. Because third parties are involved in this process, informed consent must be gained from the patient. The patient must be aware that their prescribing doctor of the medicinal cannabis, can request from MCP information on when the medication has been dispensed. This is to ensure the patient’s health professionals are working together to ensure maximum benefits from the medication are achieved.
Patients should be supplied with a copy of the QUM information leaflet to ensure appropriate use of medications information has been provided to the patient. Traditional sources of prescription medicines information, such as a Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflet, are not supplied for all medicinal cannabis medicines. Each sponsor manufacturer of Medicinal Cannabis may have information that is suitable for the public. If it is available to Australian patients, it will be contained in the MCP.
As part of the terms and conditions of the program, pharmacies have agreed to charge the patient a price no more than the listed Maximum Price to Patient.
