A coalition of researchers, healthcare practitioners, industry advocates and patients has launched a national campaign to ensure patient concerns are front and centre in the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) public consultation.
The brand-neutral initiative — The Patients — offers downloadable letters, tailored surveys and other resources for distribution through patient and prescriber networks.
Clinical researcher Dr Janet Schloss said patients must be at the heart of any policy changes.
“These surveys are designed to amplify patient voices to provide regulators with the real-world insights needed to protect patients and support healthcare practitioners,” she said.
Medical practitioner Dr Alistair Frame added: “Meaningful progress demands honest dialogue between patients, clinicians and regulators. This campaign builds that bridge, so regulators can be confident in the foundations of safe and compassionate access.”
The campaign will be welcomed by industry leaders who have called for patients to play a key role in telling the TGA how they have benefitted from medicinal cannabis.
The Patients also advocate that Australia risks undermining its medical cannabis framework if adult-use legalisation proceeds without strong safeguards.
It says no jurisdiction has successfully maintained a robust medical market alongside retail recreational access, and is urging policymakers to design a patient-centred alternative.
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