The medicinal cannabis industry has seen a significant rise since it was first allowed in Australia in 2016. Now there are over 150 branded medicinal cannabis products that are prescribed via the Special Access Scheme (SAS) or Authorised prescriber (AP) cannabis access pathways. The majority is held by oral preparations (oils) or capsules that contain delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD).
Products that are supplied by a licensed medical cannabis company are called branded medical cannabis. The chemical components, quality, and consistency will remain the same all the time.
Upon receiving approval from TGA, products that are supplied by a medicinal cannabis company should possess a license to supply. Branded goods are also known as finished goods.
Compounded medical cannabis products are bespoke formulations prescribed by the doctor depending on the individual needs of the patient. Doctors can tailor medication according to factors such as height, weight, age, usage frequency, and clinical need. One of the benefits of compounded medical cannabis is that doctors do not need to go through one of the TGA access pathways, including the Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber Scheme.
Branded medical cannabis is regulated by the TGA, which is the regulatory body that manages the guidelines for products and compliance. Part of this compliance is an inbuilt 10% allowance for variance in cannabinoids content for oil and tincture products and a 20% allowance for raw flower.
A prescription is first required from a general practitioner or a specialist who will submit an application with the TGA for approval. Once approved, the prescription will be sent back to the GP or directly to the pharmacy for collection.
Conversely, compounded medical cannabis does not need approval from the TGA and can be prescribed and altered by any doctor. Separately to the TGA, compounding pharmacists must also meet the high standards set out by the Pharmacy Board of Australia. In practical terms, this ensures the quality of compounded products is relatively similar to the quality of the branded products.
Compounding prices differ depending on the pharmacy, as different chemists procure pharmaceutical ingredients from different sources. Once a GP has prescribed compounded medicinal cannabis, the patient can only have this script fulfilled by a compounding pharmacy, who will discuss the medicine with the patient.
| Branded Medical Cannabis | Compounded Medical Cannabis |
| · Approval required from TGA
· Audited by TGA periodically · Costlier than compounded · Final product needs to be tested for quality and stability |
· No approval required from TGA
· Not audited by TGA periodically · Relatively cheaper than branded · No testing required |
Compounded medical cannabis is very safe, as the pharmacists must verify the individual compounds that are used in the production of products. Compounding pharmacies will usually have their ingredients verified by a certificate of analysis which will verify the authenticity and compliance of their ingredients. As such, final testing of products is not required, and stability and consistency are less of a concern.
Compounded medical cannabis is created once the script is received and not in batches, as the Pharmacy Board actively prohibits this practice.
Accessing compounding medicine is very convenient in Australia, whether you live in a big city or in rural areas.
CBD oil is a schedule 4 drug, and one does not need to perform any additional steps after receiving a prescription from the doctor. Patients can directly contact a compounding pharmacy with their prescription.
THC is a schedule 8 drug which means patients may require one further state approval depending on their location. Once approved, simply contact the compounding pharmacy along with the prescription.
Compounding is seen as a beneficial choice for patients wanting natural and personalised medicinal cannabis products. Medical conditions such as Migraines, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, Depression, etc. dosage will differ from person to person. Branded medical cannabis is made in batches, whilst compounded medical cannabis is made from scratch for every patient. For those who suffer from allergies and cannot consume branded products, compounded products may be more suitable, as they can be specifically tailored to suit a clinical need.
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External Links:
https://www.cannabisplace.com.au/compounding-cannabis/
https://www.claytoncompounding.com.au/compounding-cannabis.html
https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/prescribing-medicinal-cannabis
https://honahlee.com.au/articles/compounded-medical-cannabis/#comparison
https://altmed.com.au/condition/cbd-oil-for-depression/
https://altmed.com.au/condition/ptsd-cbd-oil-treatment/
https://altmed.com.au/condition/cbd-for-parkinsons-disease-treatment/
https://altmed.com.au/condition/migraines-cbd-oil-treatment/
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