Cannabis Use Sparks Concerns After Over 72,000 Prescriptions Dispensed

Unsafe handling of cannabis prescription practices has been brought to light after an Australian doctor was found dispensing 72,000 prescriptions to over 10,000 patients within two years.

Australia’s largest medical cannabis company Montu have prompted alarms for possibly unsafe behaviour after leaked documentation has raised concerns in relation to the use of the medical drug and company integrity.

The spike in concerns has led industry insiders to push for strengthened restrictions within the booming industry of medical practice.

After Australia’s legalised approval of cannabis for medical use in 2016, doctoring practitioners have received an influx of telehealth appointments which have emerged scepticism of unethical use and distribution of the substance.

The Montu Group, which owns Alternaleaf clinics, has been found to have eight of their company doctors issuing 245,109 scripts in two years, with each doctor averaging 295 scripts per doctor, each week.

With the company’s soaring revenue increasing from $103,000 in 2020 to $263 million in 2024, speculation about the company’s moral and ethical attitude continues.

The leaked documentation sparked initial denial from the company, claiming that “the figures were not accurate”, stating that an average of 205 prescriptions are given each week.

Denying the claims, a spokesperson from Montu said, “There is no doctor at Montu prescribing anywhere near these levels.”

Health minister Mark Butler has already begun raising the standards of cannabis prescriptions via telehealth consultations, with federal and state ministers revisiting the regulations later this year.

Further leaked documentation revealed that the telehealth consultations lasted no more than 10 minutes, despite a company spokesperson claiming that the appointments were up to 30 minutes with each patient.

Health minister “deeply concerned”

Whilst the company endures scrutiny over their cannabis prescriptions, Montu facilitated ‘re-scripting’ which forced patients to purchase higher margin alternatives due to the companies ‘out of stock’ status.

In a profit scheme, the Montu company weaponised their personal brand to falsely transition consumers into purchasing their product and increasing their profit margin.

A former manager at the company Tom Farmery said, “if a choice existed between one that was marginally more appropriate for the patient, and one that was more profitable, the more profitable product would be chosen”.

“I am deeply concerned about unscrupulous and possibly unsafe behaviour by some telehealth medicinal cannabis providers. Telehealth business models have emerged that use aggressive and sometimes misleading advertising that targets vulnerable people,” says Butler.

Montu will face the Federal court after the Therapeutic Goods Administration persues interest within Alternaleaf’s illegal advertising schemes.

The Fair Work Commission has 11 open cases against the company, as unfair dismissal claims circulate around the companies suspicious activity. Montu spokesperson says, “The claims are without merit.”

The government continues to investigate and strengthen the regulations around the legal use of cannabis.