Victorian pharmacies dispensing large quantities of medicinal cannabis have been placed on notice by the Victorian Pharmacy Authority (VPA), which has flagged the sector for heightened regulatory attention.
Reports indicate the VPA has carried out targeted inspections of high-volume dispensers and uncovered a number of compliance failures in the process.
The regulator told pharmacy owners that medicinal cannabis is a "current focus area" following a sharp rise in the number of pharmacies dispensing the medicine and the significant quantities they are handling.
VPA inspectors, accompanied by officers from the Department of Health's Medicines and Poison Regulation branch, found several problems: dispensing stations were insufficient relative to the volume of prescriptions being processed; drug safes lacked adequate space for the expanding range of products; and Schedule 8 safes had been installed in locations without motion-sensor coverage.
Additional violations included medicinal cannabis products being left outside the dispensary while awaiting collection or delivery, S8 records being completed by individuals who were not registered pharmacists, and records being entered days after dispensing rather than at the time it occurred.
Inspectors also found cases where pharmacists had not verified that a prescription was genuinely written by the practitioner named on it, and instances where counselling was being delivered by nurses or external third parties rather than a registered pharmacist employed at the pharmacy.
Further problems involved software systems that had not been updated to include new medicinal cannabis products, as well as substantial alterations to pharmacy premises that had proceeded without prior VPA approval.
The VPA said: "Proprietors and pharmacists should assess whether current practices meet legislative requirements in relation to S8 storage, recording and dispensing; requirements of the VPA Standards and VPA Guidelines; the Pharmacy Board of Australia's Guidelines and code of conduct and good pharmacy practice.
"The VPA also wishes to highlight environmental considerations around odour and ventilation associated with medicinal cannabis products as the comfort or amenity of pharmacy staff and clients, in addition to people outside the pharmacy, may be affected.
"Consideration should be given to extraction fans, charcoal and/or HEPA-based filters, or other means of air purification in areas where odour from medicinal cannabis products may be an issue. Licensees may need to seek independent expert advice in relation to this.
"The VPA continues to engage with stakeholders in relation to risks associated with medicinal cannabis in pharmacies."