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senate vote 2019-11-14#6
Edited by
mackay staff
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2019-11-15 16:59:20
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Title
Committees — Community Affairs References Committee; Reference- Committees - Community Affairs References Committee - Reference
Description
<p class="speaker">Richard Di Natale</p><p>Before asking that this motion be taken as formal, I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Urquhart will also sponsor the motion. I, and also on behalf of Senator Urquhart, move:</p><p class="italic">That the following matter be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 12 February 2020:</p>- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2019-11-14.121.2) introduced by Victorian Senator [Richard Di Natale](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/victoria/richard_di_natale) (Greens), which means the matter will be referred to a Committee.
- You can follow the inquiry on the [Committee website](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Medicinalcannabis).
- ### Motion text
- > *That the following matter be referred to the [Community Affairs References Committee](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs) for inquiry and report by 12 February 2020:*
- >
- > *The current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia, including:*
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- > *(a) the appropriateness of the current regulatory regime through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Special Access Scheme (SAS), Authorised Prescriber Scheme and clinical trials;*
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- > *(b) the suitability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for subsidising patient access to medicinal cannabis products;*
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- > *(c) the interaction between state and territory authorities and the Commonwealth, including overlap and variation between state and territory schemes;*
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- > *(d) Australia's regulatory regime in comparison to international best practice models for medicinal cannabis regulation and patient access;*
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- > *(e) the availability of training for doctors in the current TGA regulatory regime for prescribing medicinal cannabis to their patients;*
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- > *(f) the education of doctors in the Endogenous Cannabinoid System (ECS), and the appropriateness of medicinal cannabis treatments for various indications;*
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- > *(g) sources of information for doctors about uses of medicinal cannabis and how these might be improved and widened;*
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- > *(h) delays in access, and the practice of product substitution, due to importation of medicinal cannabis and the shortage of Australian manufactured medicinal cannabis products;*
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- > *(i) the current status of the domestic regulated medicinal cannabis industry;*
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- > *(j) the impacts on the mental and physical wellbeing of those patients struggling to access medicinal cannabis through Australia's regulatory regime;*
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- > *(k) the particular barriers for those in rural and remote areas in accessing medicinal cannabis legally;*
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- > *(l) the significant financial barriers to accessing medicinal cannabis treatment;*
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- > *(m) the number of Australian patients continuing to rely on unregulated supply of medicinal cannabis due to access barriers and the impacts associated with that; and*
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- > *(n) any related matters.*
<p class="italic">The current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia, including:</p><p class="italic">(a) the appropriateness of the current regulatory regime through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Special Access Scheme (SAS), Authorised Prescriber Scheme and clinical trials;</p><p class="italic">(b) the suitability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for subsidising patient access to medicinal cannabis products;</p><p class="italic">(c) the interaction between state and territory authorities and the Commonwealth, including overlap and variation between state and territory schemes;</p><p class="italic">(d) Australia's regulatory regime in comparison to international best practice models for medicinal cannabis regulation and patient access;</p><p class="italic">(e) the availability of training for doctors in the current TGA regulatory regime for prescribing medicinal cannabis to their patients;</p><p class="italic">(f) the education of doctors in the Endogenous Cannabinoid System (ECS), and the appropriateness of medicinal cannabis treatments for various indications;</p><p class="italic">(g) sources of information for doctors about uses of medicinal cannabis and how these might be improved and widened;</p><p class="italic">(h) delays in access, and the practice of product substitution, due to importation of medicinal cannabis and the shortage of Australian manufactured medicinal cannabis products;</p><p class="italic">(i) the current status of the domestic regulated medicinal cannabis industry;</p><p class="italic">(j) the impacts on the mental and physical wellbeing of those patients struggling to access medicinal cannabis through Australia's regulatory regime;</p><p class="italic">(k) the particular barriers for those in rural and remote areas in accessing medicinal cannabis legally;</p><p class="italic">(l) the significant financial barriers to accessing medicinal cannabis treatment;</p><p class="italic">(m) the number of Australian patients continuing to rely on unregulated supply of medicinal cannabis due to access barriers and the impacts associated with that; and</p><p class="italic">(n) any related matters.</p> <p class="speaker">Jonathon Duniam</p><p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p> <p class="speaker">Jonathon Duniam</p><p>The government does not support the premise of this proposed inquiry. It wilfully ignores the significant progress made to date. The Morrison government continues to make it easier for doctors to access medicinal cannabis products more rapidly while maintaining strict safeguards for individual and community safety. Since January 2016 over 23,000 applications for medicinal cannabis have been approved to nearly 15,000 patients via the special access scheme, which is overseen by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. There is no barrier to applications to the PBS. PBS applicants must, by law, be determined on medical, not political grounds as proposed in this motion.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>The question is that business of the Senate notice of motion No. 3 be agreed to.</p>
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