{"id":315352,"date":"2023-05-25T09:30:04","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T23:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farma.au\/?p=315352"},"modified":"2023-06-14T14:09:32","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T04:09:32","slug":"stock-shortages-substitutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farma.au\/stock-shortages-substitutions\/315352\/","title":{"rendered":"Stock Shortages & Substitutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a plant medicine Patient, you\u2019re likely to be familiar those three frustrating words: Out Of Stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While plant medicine stock issues across Australia impact several product forms, it\u2019s even more prominent with the increased demand for flower. In fact, according to the Penington Institute\u2019s 2022 report, \u201cDuring the first five months of 2022, there [were] at least 19,000 approvals for flower products\u2026\u201d<\/em> and \u201cprescribers in Queensland predominantly sought approval for oral liquid (35.0%) or dried flower (32.1%) formulations for their patients.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why might your prescription flower be out of stock? Here\u2019s a few common reasons:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Regulations: Here in Australia, the plant medicine industry is tightly regulated, this goes for everything from attaining the required licenses to the quality control of the finished or compounded flower product itself. In a process that is both costly and time-consuming, there are only so many licensed producers within Australia, or even those licensed to import product from elsewhere, all contributing to shortages in product.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Cultivation & capacity: Production of high-quality cultivation in established facilities can be a challenge in and of itself and adding the ability to scale to meet demand (especially for commonly prescribed and requested flower) of Patients can prove difficult.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Demand: It\u2019s not the most dynamic or exciting answer, but in short, demand for flower in Australia continues to rise and we simply don\u2019t have enough flower to dispense every prescription. This is a double-edged sword, which touches on the increased positive public sentiment towards the use of plant medicine, being accepted socially and seen as a useful alternative medicine option for certain health conditions.

    The upside of this level of demand? We\u2019ve cultivated (no pun intended) more confidence and ability (both technically and legally) to grow larger quantities, meaning less OOS notifications and likely cheaper product across the board thanks to economies of scale.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, we appreciate that for you, the Patient, it can be more than disappointing to find a flower product that works for you, only to be told that your product is out of stock with no clear timeline of when you might get access to this product again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re in this position, you may like to discuss the option of substitutions with your authorised prescriber. Your Doctor can approve you for substitutions in consultation with your pharmacy or dispensary, which means you have the flexibility to choose from alternative product with similar THC\/CBD and terpene profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Substitute products can range from other finished, branded products that meet the same therapeutic requirements, or you might even be approved for a compounded flower subsitution (deep-dive into what compounded flower is here – link to compounding blog).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not every prescriber will be comfortable with substitutions, but it\u2019s a discussion worth having at your next check-in especially if you find stock shortages are impacting your ability to manage your health effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here at Farma, we aim to make your plant medicine management a streamlined and convenient process. It\u2019s why we clearly mark stock availability within your Patient Portal, and we also allow you to sign-up for OOS notifications, so you\u2019re informed right away if your prescribed medicine is back in stock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    As a plant medicine Patient, you\u2019re likely to be familiar those three frustrating words: Out Of Stock. While plant medicine stock issues across Australia impact several product forms, it\u2019s even more prominent with the increased demand for flower. In fact, according to the Penington Institute\u2019s 2022 report, \u201cDuring the first five months of 2022, there […]<\/p>\n

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