HealthCert Blog

Dr Joe Kosterich is a doctor, speaker, author, media presenter and health industry consultant. Wanting you to be healthy and get the most out of life, Dr Kosterich writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications and is a regular on radio and television. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases, is clinical editor of Medical Forum Magazine, adjunct professor (teaching) at UWA and a lecturer at Curtin Medical School. Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis company Little Green Pharma and Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, Dr Kosterich has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health, and maintains a website and blog with health information and commentary. Previously he held senior positions in the Australian Medical Association and sat on numerous industry and government boards. He has extensive corporate experience in the setting up and management of medical centres and in helping businesses maintain a healthy workforce. Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.

Learn more about medicinal cannabis in primary care with HealthCert’s NEW online Professional Diploma of Medicinal Cannabis program.

If you would like to access the full presentation slides from this webinar, we invite you to join the free HealthCert Community at community.healthcert.com and go to this post.

Watch more short webinars addressing your frequently asked questions:

• Prescribing medicinal cannabis in primary care
• Conditions medicinal cannabis can treat
• Limitations, side effects and implications for medicinal cannabis
• Evidence for medicinal cannabis

Some of the questions asked during the webinar include:

• How can patients access cannabinoids in Australia for treating chronic pain?
• What is involved in doctors prescribing these medications in Australia?
• Implications of medical cannabis on driving restrictions?
• Many patients consume ETOH; what’s a safe limit with cannabis use?
• Can medicinal cannabis be used to treat torsion dystopia?
• Can you share a robust and thorough ‘consent form’ appropriate to prescribing CBD in general practice, which would be reasonably ‘HDC-proof’?
• Cannabis for anxiety disorders?
• Is CBD safe in pregnancy?
• How can I get the whole course in medicinal cannabis?
• How could I become a cannabis prescriber as a GP?
• How do I enrol in the Professional Diploma of Medicinal Cannabis?
• How does medicinal cannabis affect the cognitive and work function of a i) worker? ii) mine site worker iii) safety critical worker?
• I am not intending to become a prescriber but out of curiosity how many medicinal cannabis prescribers are in Australia at present?
• If we need to refer, how can we refer these patients?
• Is a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor allowed to prescribe CBD?
• Is it safe to use for elderly patients 80+ years?
• Need to know the referral criteria, referral points, gap fee, how the patient will continue to have the prescriptions, legal bindings for GP, switching from opioid techniques, side effects to monitor, effects on anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs.
• Please detail the evidence base to date for medicinal cannabis.
• Can cannabis modify the behaviours of a patient with dementia?
• What are the uses of medical cannabis on the skin?
• What is the evidence for CBD use in children with anxiety / ASD?
• When will over the counter cannabis products be available in Australian pharmacies?
• Do I need to cancel an existing permit before applying for a new one? How to cancel it?
• Would you be able to cast light on how medicinal cannabis is going in treatment of Tourettes?
• I have a patient with autoimmune hepatitis and intractable pain from spinal fracture; could I use it with her?
• When you say there is evidence in cannabis use for chronic pain, is there randomised control trial showing significant benefits?
• Are TGA approvals for specific patients?
• How much does it cost?
• Does it have a role in restless leg syndrome and Parkinson’s?
• Do we have to apply for each patient before we prescribe?