With the plant medicine landscape of Australia shifting almost daily, you might have spotted some changes to how frequently you can order your current prescriptions.
We’re talking about dispense intervals, which is a term that refers to the interval between a supply and the subsequent supply e.g. a first dispense of a script and your next refill of a plant medicine product.
Here’s an example:
Patient 1 manages chronic pain and has been prescribed to administer their product 3 times a day at a higher dose – this means they will use up their prescribed product faster than Patient 2 who might only need to take their medicine once each night to treat insomnia. Just like every plant medicine patient is different, your dispense intervals will be unique to you and your treatment plan.
When prescribing for you, your doctor will inform you of your maximum volume (in grams or mls depending on whether you are prescribed flowers or oils) of prescribed product that is allowed to be dispensed every X days.
For example, a doctor may state: “You are being prescribed X product, with a maximum of 30 grams approved to be dispensed every 28 days.” This period of days is a “rolling” system, which means 30 grams every 28 consecutive days (this includes weekends, not just business days).
Following on from this example, if you have a dispense interval of 28 days at a maximum volume of 30 grams per month and order product on the 1st of January, you could then get your next refill on the 29th of January.
Let’s take a look at some other common script examples and how your dispense interval will apply to them:
- You have a script for 2 (or more) different products with an interval of 28 days and a maximum of 30 grams per month (this could be stated on one or both of your products). In this scenario, you would be able to get both scripts filled within the specified 28-day window, but you cannot exceed the total maximum grams of product per month (for example, you would be able to order 2 x 10 gram containers of flower, as you would still be under your maximum gram limit of 30g).
- If you have scripts for 2 (or more) different products with 28-day dispense intervals specified but have not been given a maximum gram limitation per month, you can get all of your prescriptions dispensed within your 28-day window.
- If you have 2 (or more) scripts for the same product, your 28-day dispense interval will apply no matter which of the scripts you use. In other words, if you have had a consult with 2 different doctors and they have both given you a script for Product X, you should not attempt to fill both of these within the same dispense interval (it is recommended that you only see one prescribing specialist at a time, and there are systems in place to monitor this).
Remember, your dispense intervals mean you cannot fill a prescription for one product via an online platform and also visit a pharmacy in-person to dispense the second script for the same product within the same 28-day window.
Both your prescribing doctor and the pharmacist fulfilling your order will be aware of your dispense interval and will be able to share this with you if you haven’t been informed of it to date.
Dispense intervals allow you to monitor and manage your medicine dosing and to be aware of the intended volume you should be using per day – your dispense interval should match up with your product use window.
Your personal dispense interval will depend on several factors, including your condition, the type and dosage of the medication you’ve been prescribed, and how you are responding to the treatment – your dispense intervals may change over time during follow-up consultations and check-ins with your doctor.
If you are curious as to why a certain dispense interval has been set for you, or you wish to adjust this, you should consult your doctor in your next appointment and discuss this with them – your pharmacist or dispensary is unable to make these changes for you.
As a patient, we appreciate it can be frustrating to feel limitations are being applied to your health and treatment plan. Please be mindful that businesses within this plant medicine landscape here in Australia are strictly regulated by governing bodies like the TGA and dispense intervals must be closely adhered to in order to meet current best practices and legal boundaries.
Here at Farma, we’re dedicated to providing audience-relevant communication across all things plant medicine for patients. If you have a specific topic you’d like to learn more about, please get in touch.
Disclaimer: All information provided by Farma is informed by current TGA guidelines, practices and standards which are available to read here. For specific information regarding your plant medicine treatment, please consult your doctor.