Within Australia, the demand for flower continues to rise, so today, we’re drilling down on compounded flower specifically – what it is, how it’s made, and what it means for you as a Patient.
Whether you’re a new plant medicine Patient or further along on your plant medicine journey, you’ll likely have come across the term “compounded flower” during your conversations with Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists & Dispensary Support Staff.
Within Australia, the demand for flower continues to rise, so while compounded oils and other prescribed plant medicine products are also offered, today, we’re drilling down on compounded flower specifically.
So, what do we mean when we refer to compounded flower?
Compounded flower (or any compounded product) is a prescription product that is produced by an experienced and trained Pharmacist, taking a more “made from scratch” approach – this is why you may often hear about pharmacies or dispensaries describing themselves as “a compounding pharmacy”. Compounded products have been well-established across Australia for many years, even before plant medicine was legalised for prescription use.
When it comes to flower, this step-by-step compounding process looks like this:
- An approved plant medicine Patient may be prescribed a specific, finished and branded product which is currently out of stock. If that Patient’s Doctor has approved substitutions, this allows for more flexibility and options for your dispensing pharmacist.
- After communicating with your prescriber, the Pharmacist may deem the Patient suitable for a compounded product (we’ll get into more of the reasons why a little further along in this blog).
- The pharmacist will then dispense the volume of product on the script that has been ordered, and in the case of flower, the Pharmacist will receive bulk flower from a supplier. They check the CoA to ensure the product is TGO93 and TGO100 compliant. Depending on how much your Doctor has prescribed, pharmacist will weigh the specified amount and transfer to final container. The Pharmacist will then label the container with required information such as Brand, Cultivar and expiry of the product.
- Once dispensed and fulfilled, the Patient will then have the opportunity to use their compounded flower and give feedback to their Doctor at their next follow-up appointment to ensure this is meeting their requirements for their own unique symptoms.
When is a compounded flower the right choice?
There are a few main reasons why your authorised prescriber or pharmacist may suggest a compounded flower:
- Price: Compounded flower is often more affordable than a finished product, as these do not need to undergo as many extensive TGA checks as finished, branded product (this, however, does not mean that these products are unregulated, which we’ll talk more about in some common FAQs below). You may find your compounded flower is delivered to you in no-frills sealed tubs with simple labels (no bells and whistles like branded products).
- Availability: Nationwide, Australia simply can’t meet the overwhelming demand for flower for plant medicine Patients across all flower ranges and brands, so when your go-to flower is out of stock or unlikely to come back into stock, having a compounded flower will allow you to receive your medication faster.
- Specific Patient Requirements: It’s possible for your Doctor to deem a specific THC & CBD ratio of flower to be ideal for your plant medicine journey, and they may suggest a compounded flower that offers a unique ratio that is not on the market elsewhere in a branded, finished form.
The components of compounded products are required to meet the same quality and standards laid out by the Pharmacy Board of Australia, to match those required of branded SAS or AP products, they are not designed to replace approved, branded medications, but to provide more access and options to Patients to meet their needs.
So, let’s get into some myth busting around some commonly asked questions about compounded flower:
Myth: Compounded flower is entirely unregulated and requires no TGA oversight or approval.
Fact: All compounded plant medicine products must be TGA093 & TGO100 compliant, you can read more about these here:
- Conforming with Therapeutic Goods (Standard for Medicinal Cannabis) (TGO 93) Order 2017 | Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Microbiological quality of medicinal cannabis products | Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
Compounding pharmacists also complete a thorough visual inspection of the raw flower material to determine whether the integrity of the packaging has been maintained and the seal is intact at the time of delivery, well before it ever reaches the Patient. Any damage to containers or other issues which may adversely affect the quality of the material are thoroughly investigated, and any and all issues must be satisfactorily resolved before use in compounded preparations.
Myth: You can’t be sure of exactly what’s in a compounded flower or the specific levels of THC or CBD.
Fact: CoAs (Certificate of Analysis) are available for all compounded flower, which every Patient can request access to.
Myth: Compounded flower is lower quality or sub-par to a branded product.
Fact: Compounded flower can be a useful substitute when branded products are out of stock, and most of the compounded flowers in Australia come from the same companies that also produce finished, branded products. The compounded flowers are often cheaper as the cost of packaging etc. doesn’t have to be recovered within the final RRP.
Myth: It’s difficult to know what compounded flowers are available, or even if I can get prescribed them.
Fact: Speak to your Doctor to see if you’re a good candidate for substitutions on your scripts, and if a compounded flower is a smart option for you. At Farma, as an approved MC Patient with a valid account, you will be able to view our full flower range (provided you have been approved for Schedule 4 & Schedule 8 flower medicines already). We clearly mark our compounded flower on our Prescription Medicine Catalogue so it’s easy to identify from other branded products.
In short, we’re likely to see more compounded flower on offer in Australia as the industry expands to meet rising demand. Discuss your options with your prescriber and check in with your pharmacist or dispensary if you have been prescribed a compounded flower and have any specific questions.