20th February 2024 13:19
Victorian Legislative Council, Melbourne
RACHEL PAYNE — To move —
That this House notes that —
(1) Medicinal cannabis products are not subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), this means that patients must pay the full cost for their medication.
(2) The average patient pays roughly $300 per month for their prescription, but costs can be up to $4000 depending on dosage, the patient’s condition and the required product.
(3) These costs are increasingly prohibitive for many people experiencing cost of living pressure.
(4) The cost burden of a medicinal cannabis prescription forces people to go without their prescribed medication or turn to the illicit market.
(4) Calls on the Government to acknowledge that cost remains a significant barrier to access for medicinal cannabis patients and to advocate their federal counterparts for the inclusion of medicinal cannabis on the PBS.
[ENDS]
