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The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Meteoric rise' in medicinal cannabis prescriptions signals serious review
Cowboy doctors have been put on notice, as telehealth services prescribing unapproved medicinal cannabis to seniors and other vulnerable Australians come under the microscope. Experts have welcomed a move by the government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to review the safety and regulatory framework for medicinal cannabis products after increasing public and professional concern. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said cannabis products are being prescribed at "alarming rates through direct-to-consumer telehealth models". Victorian MP and user of medicinal cannabis, David Ettershank, welcomed the review which includes a callout for public comment, and said it was "long overdue". "There has been a meteoric rise in the use of medicinal cannabis, and that is clear from all the data from the state and federal levels," he told The Senior. "The seniors' market is one of the fastest growing sectors for the medicinal cannabis industry, because of its ability to help with pain, arthritis, stress and sleep management." Read more from The Senior: Mr Ettershank said it's been a "Godsend" to be able to be prescribed approved medicinal cannabis to treat his auto-immune condition Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and ongoing chronic back pain from an injury, though admits it's not a "miracle cure for all ailments". The Senior understands only two medicinal cannabis products have been approved by the TGA, meaning many other products are accessed through the unapproved goods scheme. "Telehealth is an important mechanism to improve access to health services - but these direct-to-consumer, single-issue models lack clear referral pathways or a feedback loop to GPs and as the TGA has acknowledged, this requires much broader consideration by government," said AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen. "We are seeing increasing reports of patient harm from cannabis, including psychosis, so this current surge in prescriptions is highly concerning ...Clearly, the health landscape has changed dramatically in Australia, so it is vital we look at our regulatory settings and find out what needs to be done to address any gaps." Product-specific telehealth services are one of three key issues raised by the TGA. Other key issues include the safety risks of the products and whether there are appropriate regulations oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products being accessed via the Special Access Scheme and Authorised Prescriber Scheme. Like every industry, Mr Ettershank said, there will always be people who do the wrong thing for greed or act improperly, though from his own experience he has found practitioners take their responsibilities very seriously. "It's a relatively new industry, having only been around for 10 years, and it is appropriate that we pause occasionally to reflect on what is happening," he said. "I'm concerned that the scope of their consultation is limited, and it is not an inquiry by multiple agencies .... I'd like to see a holistic approach to regulation, reform, safety and quality in the medicinal cannabis sector, but we look forward to participating in the consultation." Further details on the consultation can be found at For enquiries relating to this public consultation, please email MedicinalCannabisReforms@ The closing date for this consultation is 23.59 AEST on October 7 2025. All submissions received by the deadline, will be considered by the TGA. Cowboy doctors have been put on notice, as telehealth services prescribing unapproved medicinal cannabis to seniors and other vulnerable Australians come under the microscope. Experts have welcomed a move by the government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to review the safety and regulatory framework for medicinal cannabis products after increasing public and professional concern. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said cannabis products are being prescribed at "alarming rates through direct-to-consumer telehealth models". Victorian MP and user of medicinal cannabis, David Ettershank, welcomed the review which includes a callout for public comment, and said it was "long overdue". "There has been a meteoric rise in the use of medicinal cannabis, and that is clear from all the data from the state and federal levels," he told The Senior. "The seniors' market is one of the fastest growing sectors for the medicinal cannabis industry, because of its ability to help with pain, arthritis, stress and sleep management." Read more from The Senior: Mr Ettershank said it's been a "Godsend" to be able to be prescribed approved medicinal cannabis to treat his auto-immune condition Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and ongoing chronic back pain from an injury, though admits it's not a "miracle cure for all ailments". The Senior understands only two medicinal cannabis products have been approved by the TGA, meaning many other products are accessed through the unapproved goods scheme. "Telehealth is an important mechanism to improve access to health services - but these direct-to-consumer, single-issue models lack clear referral pathways or a feedback loop to GPs and as the TGA has acknowledged, this requires much broader consideration by government," said AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen. "We are seeing increasing reports of patient harm from cannabis, including psychosis, so this current surge in prescriptions is highly concerning ...Clearly, the health landscape has changed dramatically in Australia, so it is vital we look at our regulatory settings and find out what needs to be done to address any gaps." Product-specific telehealth services are one of three key issues raised by the TGA. Other key issues include the safety risks of the products and whether there are appropriate regulations oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products being accessed via the Special Access Scheme and Authorised Prescriber Scheme. Like every industry, Mr Ettershank said, there will always be people who do the wrong thing for greed or act improperly, though from his own experience he has found practitioners take their responsibilities very seriously. "It's a relatively new industry, having only been around for 10 years, and it is appropriate that we pause occasionally to reflect on what is happening," he said. "I'm concerned that the scope of their consultation is limited, and it is not an inquiry by multiple agencies .... I'd like to see a holistic approach to regulation, reform, safety and quality in the medicinal cannabis sector, but we look forward to participating in the consultation." Further details on the consultation can be found at For enquiries relating to this public consultation, please email MedicinalCannabisReforms@ The closing date for this consultation is 23.59 AEST on October 7 2025. All submissions received by the deadline, will be considered by the TGA. Cowboy doctors have been put on notice, as telehealth services prescribing unapproved medicinal cannabis to seniors and other vulnerable Australians come under the microscope. Experts have welcomed a move by the government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to review the safety and regulatory framework for medicinal cannabis products after increasing public and professional concern. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said cannabis products are being prescribed at "alarming rates through direct-to-consumer telehealth models". Victorian MP and user of medicinal cannabis, David Ettershank, welcomed the review which includes a callout for public comment, and said it was "long overdue". "There has been a meteoric rise in the use of medicinal cannabis, and that is clear from all the data from the state and federal levels," he told The Senior. "The seniors' market is one of the fastest growing sectors for the medicinal cannabis industry, because of its ability to help with pain, arthritis, stress and sleep management." Read more from The Senior: Mr Ettershank said it's been a "Godsend" to be able to be prescribed approved medicinal cannabis to treat his auto-immune condition Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and ongoing chronic back pain from an injury, though admits it's not a "miracle cure for all ailments". The Senior understands only two medicinal cannabis products have been approved by the TGA, meaning many other products are accessed through the unapproved goods scheme. "Telehealth is an important mechanism to improve access to health services - but these direct-to-consumer, single-issue models lack clear referral pathways or a feedback loop to GPs and as the TGA has acknowledged, this requires much broader consideration by government," said AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen. "We are seeing increasing reports of patient harm from cannabis, including psychosis, so this current surge in prescriptions is highly concerning ...Clearly, the health landscape has changed dramatically in Australia, so it is vital we look at our regulatory settings and find out what needs to be done to address any gaps." Product-specific telehealth services are one of three key issues raised by the TGA. Other key issues include the safety risks of the products and whether there are appropriate regulations oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products being accessed via the Special Access Scheme and Authorised Prescriber Scheme. Like every industry, Mr Ettershank said, there will always be people who do the wrong thing for greed or act improperly, though from his own experience he has found practitioners take their responsibilities very seriously. "It's a relatively new industry, having only been around for 10 years, and it is appropriate that we pause occasionally to reflect on what is happening," he said. "I'm concerned that the scope of their consultation is limited, and it is not an inquiry by multiple agencies .... I'd like to see a holistic approach to regulation, reform, safety and quality in the medicinal cannabis sector, but we look forward to participating in the consultation." Further details on the consultation can be found at For enquiries relating to this public consultation, please email MedicinalCannabisReforms@ The closing date for this consultation is 23.59 AEST on October 7 2025. All submissions received by the deadline, will be considered by the TGA. Cowboy doctors have been put on notice, as telehealth services prescribing unapproved medicinal cannabis to seniors and other vulnerable Australians come under the microscope. Experts have welcomed a move by the government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to review the safety and regulatory framework for medicinal cannabis products after increasing public and professional concern. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said cannabis products are being prescribed at "alarming rates through direct-to-consumer telehealth models". Victorian MP and user of medicinal cannabis, David Ettershank, welcomed the review which includes a callout for public comment, and said it was "long overdue". "There has been a meteoric rise in the use of medicinal cannabis, and that is clear from all the data from the state and federal levels," he told The Senior. "The seniors' market is one of the fastest growing sectors for the medicinal cannabis industry, because of its ability to help with pain, arthritis, stress and sleep management." Read more from The Senior: Mr Ettershank said it's been a "Godsend" to be able to be prescribed approved medicinal cannabis to treat his auto-immune condition Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and ongoing chronic back pain from an injury, though admits it's not a "miracle cure for all ailments". The Senior understands only two medicinal cannabis products have been approved by the TGA, meaning many other products are accessed through the unapproved goods scheme. "Telehealth is an important mechanism to improve access to health services - but these direct-to-consumer, single-issue models lack clear referral pathways or a feedback loop to GPs and as the TGA has acknowledged, this requires much broader consideration by government," said AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen. "We are seeing increasing reports of patient harm from cannabis, including psychosis, so this current surge in prescriptions is highly concerning ...Clearly, the health landscape has changed dramatically in Australia, so it is vital we look at our regulatory settings and find out what needs to be done to address any gaps." Product-specific telehealth services are one of three key issues raised by the TGA. Other key issues include the safety risks of the products and whether there are appropriate regulations oversight of unapproved medicinal cannabis products being accessed via the Special Access Scheme and Authorised Prescriber Scheme. Like every industry, Mr Ettershank said, there will always be people who do the wrong thing for greed or act improperly, though from his own experience he has found practitioners take their responsibilities very seriously. "It's a relatively new industry, having only been around for 10 years, and it is appropriate that we pause occasionally to reflect on what is happening," he said. "I'm concerned that the scope of their consultation is limited, and it is not an inquiry by multiple agencies .... I'd like to see a holistic approach to regulation, reform, safety and quality in the medicinal cannabis sector, but we look forward to participating in the consultation." Further details on the consultation can be found at For enquiries relating to this public consultation, please email MedicinalCannabisReforms@ The closing date for this consultation is 23.59 AEST on October 7 2025. All submissions received by the deadline, will be considered by the TGA.
Sydney Morning Herald
8 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Most parents skip the flu jab for their children. Is that a bad idea?
The bulk of influenza infections occur in children; they are also the main transmitters of the virus within the community. One study of 29 countries, including Australia, found 19 per cent of flu cases were in children under four. Consider this study from Hong Kong that tracked the spread of flu through households: kids under 18 were up to 2.8 times more likely to pass on the virus than adults, and they were more likely to catch it. Children seem to shed more copies of the virus (including before they show symptoms); they also tend to have closer contact with adults. They are also less likely to wash their hands, and more likely to put things in their mouth. Why? Principally because they are immune-naive: their bodies have not had time to train on influenza. An adult has an arsenal of antibodies to several different strains of the flu. A young child has nothing beyond any left-over antibodies from their mother. 'They are new in the world, and they are getting infected with a lot of different viruses,' says Professor Kristine Macartney, director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance. 'While that's inevitable, what we don't want – and I promise you as a paediatrician who has cared for many kids critically ill in hospital with flu – we don't want to see kids with severe illness.' We often think of the flu as a nuisance for young people and adults, and a threat for the elderly. Consider flu vaccination rates: 60 per cent of Australians over 65 have had a jab, compared to 24.7 per cent of those under five. 'They are new in the world, and they are getting infected with a lot of different viruses.' Professor Kristine Macartney on the susceptibility of children But influenza hospitalisation rates among very young children are surprisingly high – higher still if you add in all those who have co-infections, such as RSV at the same time. Young children also tend to suffer the most from the flu. They typically have higher fevers, more severe symptoms, and shed more of the virus, which explains why they are such effective transmitters. Indeed, every year the flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people globally, including about 28,000 people under 18. Some years, the hospitalisation rate for Australians under five exceeds that of those over 65. And while children with comorbidities are particularly at risk, there does seem to be a lot of random variation, with some perfectly healthy youngsters getting severely ill and ending up in intensive care. 'The vast majority of kids we see hospitalised each year … are healthy children. When this happens, it is a shock to parents,' Macartney says. Per the most recent Australian influenza season report, 39 people died with the flu in sentinel hospitals (those participating in influenza surveillance) in 2023, nine of them children. When we are infected, or vaccinated, our bodies develop armies of antibodies specific to glycoproteins on the surface of the virus. Loading Over time, and under pressure from our new antibodies, the virus mutates – a process known as antigenic drift – eventually to the point where our antibodies no longer recognise it. We undergo another cycle of infection and immunity. Remarkably, antibodies developed to a flu infection in childhood may actually offer us lifelong protection against similar strains of flu, a process known as immune imprinting. Australia licenses two free vaccines for children under five. Unlike the adult vaccine, they are given over two doses. Vaccinating kids for the flu seems to work reasonably well. A large US study in 2020 found having at least one dose of vaccine cut the chances of hospitalisation from the flu by 55 per cent. 'So it's good, but it's not great,' says Professor Robert Booy, an infectious diseases paediatrician at the University of Sydney, who has run clinical trials of flu vaccines. The overall reduction in infections tends to sit at about 50 to 60 per cent, he says. There are also community benefits. Vaccinating children seems to cut the amount of virus that is spread around the community. Given the number of viruses parents have to endure from their children, avoiding one seems a smart bet. And the vaccine seems safe. Australia conducted one of the phase 3 trials for one of our vaccines licensed in children. It reported zero serious adverse events or deaths. Just 1.1 per cent of parents take their children to see a doctor in the days after getting a flu shot. Given all this, why are flu vaccination rates falling among kids? Loading The obvious answer is: the pandemic. During 2020, parents wanted to protect their kids from COVID, but there was no COVID vaccine, so they got a flu jab instead. 'People were trying to take action against something,' says Jessica Kaufman, head of the vaccine social science team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. After COVID was no longer front of mind, parents began putting less emphasis on the importance of flu protection. Parents are busy as it is without one more thing to think about – and kids don't much like having needles stuck in their arms. The flu vaccine is optional, compared to the more stringently recommended vaccines of childhood. Perhaps some parents worry about over-jabbing their kids? But the world is full of antigens, Booy says. Adding one more is not going to make much of a difference. 'It's a vaccine that is completely safe. It absolutely helps benefit not only the child, but also the immediate family and everyone around them. Children are super-spreaders,' Macartney says. 'It is definitely not too late to vaccinate. We have influenza on the rise at the moment – it's looking to be well above previous years.'
The Age
8 hours ago
- The Age
Most parents skip the flu jab for their children. Is that a bad idea?
The bulk of influenza infections occur in children; they are also the main transmitters of the virus within the community. One study of 29 countries, including Australia, found 19 per cent of flu cases were in children under four. Consider this study from Hong Kong that tracked the spread of flu through households: kids under 18 were up to 2.8 times more likely to pass on the virus than adults, and they were more likely to catch it. Children seem to shed more copies of the virus (including before they show symptoms); they also tend to have closer contact with adults. They are also less likely to wash their hands, and more likely to put things in their mouth. Why? Principally because they are immune-naive: their bodies have not had time to train on influenza. An adult has an arsenal of antibodies to several different strains of the flu. A young child has nothing beyond any left-over antibodies from their mother. 'They are new in the world, and they are getting infected with a lot of different viruses,' says Professor Kristine Macartney, director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance. 'While that's inevitable, what we don't want – and I promise you as a paediatrician who has cared for many kids critically ill in hospital with flu – we don't want to see kids with severe illness.' We often think of the flu as a nuisance for young people and adults, and a threat for the elderly. Consider flu vaccination rates: 60 per cent of Australians over 65 have had a jab, compared to 24.7 per cent of those under five. 'They are new in the world, and they are getting infected with a lot of different viruses.' Professor Kristine Macartney on the susceptibility of children But influenza hospitalisation rates among very young children are surprisingly high – higher still if you add in all those who have co-infections, such as RSV at the same time. Young children also tend to suffer the most from the flu. They typically have higher fevers, more severe symptoms, and shed more of the virus, which explains why they are such effective transmitters. Indeed, every year the flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people globally, including about 28,000 people under 18. Some years, the hospitalisation rate for Australians under five exceeds that of those over 65. And while children with comorbidities are particularly at risk, there does seem to be a lot of random variation, with some perfectly healthy youngsters getting severely ill and ending up in intensive care. 'The vast majority of kids we see hospitalised each year … are healthy children. When this happens, it is a shock to parents,' Macartney says. Per the most recent Australian influenza season report, 39 people died with the flu in sentinel hospitals (those participating in influenza surveillance) in 2023, nine of them children. When we are infected, or vaccinated, our bodies develop armies of antibodies specific to glycoproteins on the surface of the virus. Loading Over time, and under pressure from our new antibodies, the virus mutates – a process known as antigenic drift – eventually to the point where our antibodies no longer recognise it. We undergo another cycle of infection and immunity. Remarkably, antibodies developed to a flu infection in childhood may actually offer us lifelong protection against similar strains of flu, a process known as immune imprinting. Australia licenses two free vaccines for children under five. Unlike the adult vaccine, they are given over two doses. Vaccinating kids for the flu seems to work reasonably well. A large US study in 2020 found having at least one dose of vaccine cut the chances of hospitalisation from the flu by 55 per cent. 'So it's good, but it's not great,' says Professor Robert Booy, an infectious diseases paediatrician at the University of Sydney, who has run clinical trials of flu vaccines. The overall reduction in infections tends to sit at about 50 to 60 per cent, he says. There are also community benefits. Vaccinating children seems to cut the amount of virus that is spread around the community. Given the number of viruses parents have to endure from their children, avoiding one seems a smart bet. And the vaccine seems safe. Australia conducted one of the phase 3 trials for one of our vaccines licensed in children. It reported zero serious adverse events or deaths. Just 1.1 per cent of parents take their children to see a doctor in the days after getting a flu shot. Given all this, why are flu vaccination rates falling among kids? Loading The obvious answer is: the pandemic. During 2020, parents wanted to protect their kids from COVID, but there was no COVID vaccine, so they got a flu jab instead. 'People were trying to take action against something,' says Jessica Kaufman, head of the vaccine social science team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. After COVID was no longer front of mind, parents began putting less emphasis on the importance of flu protection. Parents are busy as it is without one more thing to think about – and kids don't much like having needles stuck in their arms. The flu vaccine is optional, compared to the more stringently recommended vaccines of childhood. Perhaps some parents worry about over-jabbing their kids? But the world is full of antigens, Booy says. Adding one more is not going to make much of a difference. 'It's a vaccine that is completely safe. It absolutely helps benefit not only the child, but also the immediate family and everyone around them. Children are super-spreaders,' Macartney says. 'It is definitely not too late to vaccinate. We have influenza on the rise at the moment – it's looking to be well above previous years.'
