The Australian and New Zealand College of Cannabinoid Practitioners (ANZCCP) has launched an Authorised Prescriber (AP) course for medical professionals.
Delivered online through a series of self-paced modules designed by ANZCCP’s founding members, the course will equip doctors with the knowledge they need to become cannabinoid APs with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and prescribe medicinal cannabis safely and effectively.
The course website states: “We cover cannabinoid medicine from basics to advanced, with the latest research dissected and our first-hand experience shared, giving prescribing doctors a wide range of knowledge on the topic.”
Subjects covered include the history of cannabis, the endocannabinoid system, whole-plant medicine, main indications, safety considerations, side effects, prescribing considerations, dosing, titration and access pathways.
Enrolment is open to Australian and New Zealand registered doctors, nurses and pharmacists, with course fees of A$200 including one-year ANZCCP membership.
The ANZCCP’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), registered last year with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), is able to accept applications from medical practitioners seeking to become APs for medicinal cannabis products.
Registrations are open until March 1, 2022 with a $800 fee to assess a new application including one-year ANZCCP membership and course access. Renewal of an existing AP approval costs $400.
Successful completion of the AP course will be one of the requirements under the ANZCCP HREC AP approval pathway.
New ANZCCP president Dr Orit Holtzman told Cannabiz the body was “very excited” to launch the new course and begin sharing its members’ expertise with the wider medical community.
She added: “The course is independent (not affiliated with any cannabis company or clinic) and not for profit.
“We have included college membership and course access in the application fee, so applicants are guaranteed access to the medical education and peer support that will enable them to be safe and effective APs.”