Isn’t the Device the Prescriber’s Job?
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A patient arrives with a medicinal cannabis prescription.
Then comes the question:
“So… what are my device options?”
And you might think:
“Shouldn't the prescriber have already decided that?”
Not necessarily.
A pharmacist's role isn't simply to reduce every patient down to one device.
And it isn't necessarily the prescriber's clinical decision for them either.
It's about helping the patient understand what options are actually available to them — and what needs to happen before those options can be supplied.
The TGA itself tells patients prescribed medicinal cannabis for vaping to speak with their doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist to confirm they can access a compatible medicinal cannabis vaping device.
Here's where the options matter.
Imagine a patient asks:
“Do I have to buy that one? Is there another option?”
That's where understanding the difference becomes valuable.
OPTION 1 — ARTG-INCLUDED DEVICE
Medicinal cannabis vaping devices included in the ARTG have been assessed by the TGA for quality, safety and performance and can be purchased by patients through pharmacies.
For the device itself, a separate SAS-B approval isn't required.
In fact, the TGA's SAS guidance states that SAS B cannot be used to obtain a medical device that is already included in the ARTG.
OPTION 2 — NON-ARTG DEVICE
A non-ARTG medicinal cannabis vaping device is an unapproved therapeutic good.
That doesn't remove it as a potential option — but there is another step.
Where an ARTG-included device isn't clinically suitable for the patient's situation, the prescriber may seek access to an unapproved device through an applicable pathway such as SAS Category B or Authorised Prescriber, with the TGA requiring compelling clinical justification and assessing applications case by case.
So the conversation isn't:
❌ “This is the device. Take it or leave it.”
It's:
“Here are the options we can supply now. Here are the options that require another access pathway. Let's work out what is appropriate for you.”
Why should a pharmacist care?
Because patient care doesn't stop at dispensing the medicine.
The PSA's 2026 Code of Ethics puts the patient's health and wellbeing first and specifically speaks to duty of care, patient autonomy and shared decision-making.
That doesn't mean the pharmacist has to prescribe the device.
It means understanding enough to help the patient navigate the decision responsibly.
Compatibility.
Regulatory status.
Access pathway.
Patient needs.
Cost and practical considerations.
And when the decision requires clinical justification for an unapproved device:
bring the prescriber back into the conversation.
REMEMBER THIS
Your job isn't to choose for the patient.
It's to help them understand their options — and what each option requires.
An ARTG-included device may be available through the pharmacy without a separate SAS/AP approval for the device.
A non-ARTG device may still be an option, but the appropriate unapproved-device access pathway must be addressed.
Different options. Different pathways. One patient at the centre.
DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
TGA — Medicinal cannabis information for health professionals
TGA — Medicinal cannabis vaping devices approved in Australia