New Special Access Scheme online system for unregistered cannabis medicines

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) today introduced an online system to enable medical practitioners to submit Special Access Scheme (SAS) applications and notifications electronically.

On Monday 30 July 2018, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) introduced an online system to enable medical practitioners to submit Special Access Scheme (SAS) applications and notifications electronically.

The TGA has been working in collaboration with the State and Territory Health Departments to streamline the application processes for the prescription of and subsequent access to unregistered medicinal cannabis products in Australia.

The new system will also provide users with additional system benefits to manage their SAS applications and notifications.

Access the SAS online system

There are circumstances where the TGA's SAS online system should not be used for medicinal cannabis submissions. These circumstances include:

Where the prescriber of the unapproved therapeutic good is not a medical practitioner.
If you are submitting an application on behalf of the prescriber. The medical practitioner prescribing the medicinal cannabis product must make the submission via the system.
Where the prescriber is in possession of a current TGA approval and the notification/application only relates to the state or territory. A notification or application in these circumstances should be made directly to the State or Territory Health Department.

Please note that while lodgement of SAS applications and notifications to the TGA via the online system is not mandatory, it is the preferred method of submission. Medical practitioners in NSW can continue to use the existing Special Access Scheme application forms if needed. These forms are available on the TGA's website. The TGA does plan to transition from paper forms to online submissions only by 1 July 2019.

Further information on the SAS online system can be found in the TGA’s user guidance.