MEDICAL
CANNABIS — MEDICAL PRACTITIONER TRAINING
473. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the minister representing the
Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to the Kalgoorlie
Miner of 9 August 2021, in particular the article titled ''Survey
finds reluctance from GPs on cannabis''. What the national poll actually
found was doctors citing cost and a lack of knowledge on their own part as the
main reasons for not prescribing medicinal cannabis. Acknowledging that cost is
intrinsically linked to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and our federal
colleagues, I ask the following.
(1) What, if
anything, is the McGowan government in general, and the Department of Health in
particular, doing to educate GPs on the availability and application of medicinal
cannabis?
(2) Will the
minister push for more formalised training on medicinal cannabis to be made
available to doctors both during their university training and beyond?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer is provided on behalf of the
Minister for Health.
(1) Comprehensive information on access to medicinal
cannabis products is published by the national medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
This includes detailed evidence-based clinical guidelines, information
and resources for prescribing doctors. The Western Australian Department of
Health assisted in the development of these guidelines. The national
prescribing service also has a range of resources for patients and health practitioners. The DOH endorses and provides links
to these resources in online materials related to medicinal cannabis.
(2) No. The
inclusion and coverage of specific aspects of therapeutic management of
diseases in accredited university training
qualifications for registered health practitioners is a matter for the
respective individual education institutions to consider.