Adelaide’s first dedicated clinic to prescribe medicinal cannabis, IvyMed Clinic, has opened, offering an alternative pain relief and therapy option to those suffering from a variety of chronic pain and mental health issues.
Two South Australian-based doctors, Dr Hsin-Pei Lin and Dr Sheng-Wen Cheng, are working collaboratively with a focus on alternative treatments and medicinal cannabis.
Located inside the pharmacy in Pasadena Shopping centre, the two doctors at IvyMed Clinic will consult South Australians face-to-face reviewing patients through an eligibility test, GP referral, health summary and then will make an assessment about the appropriate treatment.
Specialised advice will also be provided with highly trained pharmacists available at the same location with access to a full range of onsite dispensary for prescriptions.
The pair are both general practitioners with experience working with patients who may require alternative treatments, such as medicinal cannabis.
Dr Lin graduated from medical school in 2011 and completed her Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 2020, and Dr Cheng has been a practicing General Pracitioner since 2012.
They are also part of the authorised prescriber scheme which allows medical practitioners to supply products that are not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods to certain patients with particular medical conditions.
Since 2016 the Australian governments have used existing laws or passed specific laws to allow the prescribing and dispensing of medicinal cannabis products. Many Australians with chronic pain and other health conditions have resorted to medicinal cannabis for relief.
“We are passionate about delivering alternative treatments for our patients. We tailor therapies in an effort to alleviate symptoms and improve patient outcomes,” Dr Cheng said.
“Medicinal cannabis is only considered when patients have been unable to find relief through other options. So, when we see patients, they need adjunct therapy options and it’s rewarding that we are able to offer them an alternative solution to their often chronic and sometimes debilitating conditions.”
Medical cannabis has many well-known advocates and supporters worldwide including the late Olivia Newton-John, Morgan Freeman, Michael J Fox, Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson and Australian NRL great Andrew Johns’.
The new dedicated Medical GP clinic opening comes after recent research by the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics found a sharp rise in medicinal cannabis prescriptions in recent years.
Medical cannabis prescriptions have now topped 260,000 since becoming legal in Australia six years ago with doctors prescribing it for more than 140 different conditions like pain, sleep disorders, and anxiety among the most common.
IvyMed Clinic is located inside the Star Discount Chemist, Shop 9, Pasadena Shopping Center, 16 Fiveash Drive, Pasadena.