MEDICAL CANNABIS —
PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS SCHEME
984. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to the
petition lodged with the federal Parliament on 10 October 2022 with 6 687
signatures, calling upon the Albanese government to begin listing medicinal
cannabis products on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, and to the reply the
minister's predecessor gave me on 2 September 2021 in which he
confirmed that the McGowan government had written to the then Liberal
government in Canberra supporting such a move.
(1) Has the
McGowan government or the minister discussed the desirability of having medicinal
cannabis products listed on the PBS with the federal government, since the
Albanese administration was sworn in?
(2) If not, why not?
(3) Will the
minister take the opportunity offered by the tabling of this federal petition
to reaffirm the state government's commitment to PBS listing to
substantially ease the financial burden on those with a documented need for
these often costly prescription medicines?
Hon
SAMANTHA ROWE replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. On behalf of the Leader of the House, I provide
the following answer on behalf of the Minister for Health.
(1) No.
(2)–(3) The
state government supports the listing of medicinal cannabis on the PBS whenever
these products meet national standards for quality, efficacy and safety,
consistent with all other prescription medicines.