Medicinal cannabis

If you have a health condition that is already covered by a Veteran Card, we may be able to fund medicinal cannabis to treat that condition. We consider a number of factors to decide whether we can approve funding.

If you’re a medical practitioner, go to Medicinal cannabis information for providers.

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What is medicinal cannabis

Medicinal cannabis products are high quality, legal medicines that doctors can prescribe to a patient. These products can be used to treat:

• symptoms of certain medical conditions
• side effects of some treatments.

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Who can access it

When a doctor asks us for approval to fund medicinal cannabis, we consider the information they provide for each application on a case-by-case basis.

Before we can approve funding, you need to have previously received standard treatment for the same condition. We can only fund medicinal cannabis after standard treatments for your condition haven’t been successful.

To approve funding, we need to confirm that the product your doctor is prescribing:

• has been proven to be effective and safe for your health condition
• is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA).

In some situations, we will also need your treating doctor to arrange for a written assessment from a relevant, non-GP specialist who treats you for the condition. The specialist will need to confirm they support the application for medicinal cannabis.

We will consider funding medicinal cannabis for treatment of the following health conditions:

• chronic pain
• chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
• palliative care indications
• anorexia and wasting associated with chronic illness such as cancer
• spasticity from neurological conditions
• refractory paediatric epilepsy.

We will also consider funding medicinal cannabis for other conditions but we may require more information from your treating doctor(s).

We cannot approve funding for medicinal cannabis for conditions where its use has not been proven to be effective, harmless and safe, such as treatment for a mental health condition. 

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How to access it

Medicinal cannabis is funded through the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS).

Speak to your treating doctor. They will assess you for medicinal cannabis.

Your doctor will contact us to get approval before they can prescribe it to you. We will ask them for information about your treatment and the products they plan to prescribe.

In some situations, your doctor can call the Veterans’ Affairs Pharmaceutical Advisory Centre (VAPAC) on 1800 552 580 to ask for approval for RPBS prescriptions. Whether they can arrange it over the phone depends on:

• the reason they’re prescribing it
• the number of products they’re prescribing
• how much THC is in the product/s they’re prescribing.

In other situations, your doctor will need to apply in writing and include a written assessment from your relevant, treating non-GP specialist.

You can find more information about what we need from your doctor at Medicinal cannabis information for providers.

If we are able to approve the request from your doctor for funding either over the phone or through a written application, they can then arrange an authority prescription. You can take the prescription to any pharmacy of your choice which is able to dispense RPBS prescriptions.

You will need to pay the pharmacy the concessional co-payment of $7.70 each time the prescription is supplied unless you are on the concessional safety net.

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Where to find out more

If you want more information you can contact us by:

• phone 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
• email ppo [at] dva.gov.au (ppo[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au)

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Feedback

Your feedback helps us deliver quality service to veterans and families. Read more about complaints, compliments and other feedback.

Other health bodies can also benefit from your input. To give feedback about:

• medicine quality or safety, contact the Therapeutic Goods Administration
• pharmacists, contact the AHPRA Pharmacy Board
• other health professionals, contact AHPRA.

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Privacy notice

Personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988. Personal information may be collected by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) for the delivery of government programs for war veterans, members of the Australian Defence Force, members of the Australian Federal Police and their dependents.

For more information about how DVA manages personal information, go to Privacy and Privacy Collection Notice (DOCX 53 KB).

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