Plant-based medicine can only be accessed through pathways available for unapproved medicines. Patients who meet specific eligibility criteria can access plant medicines by prescribing doctors in Australia. Plant-based medicines are not registered medicines in Australia.
The prescribing doctor needs to justify to the government’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) why the person needs plant-based medicine. TGA approval is dependent on each patient’s unique set of circumstances, subject to various eligibility criteria through the Department of Health’s TGA approval framework.