The Medical Republic | Not so usual suspects make up new telehealth group
Some of the more obscure players in the telehealth field have banded together to form a new working group, spearheaded by medicinal cannabis group Montu and chaired by former federal health minister Greg Hunt.
The group, which simply refers to itself as the Telehealth Sector Working Group, bears a similar name to the Department of Health and Aged Care-commissioned Telehealth Working Group.
There does not appear to be any crossover in membership between the two, nor is the Montu-led group government-affiliated.
Montu, which owns telehealth clinic Alternaleaf and clinical education platform Saged, is subject to legal action initiated by the TGA in 2024.
The therapeutic goods regulator alleged that Montu and Alternaleaf unlawfully advertised medicinal cannabis on websites and social media by using terms like “plant medicine” to promote the online clinic.
Montu also potentially promoted the use of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of serious diseases, conditions and disorders by allegedly implying that medicinal cannabis was TGA-approved, was “magical or miraculous” without side-effects and included health practitioner endorsements.
If the regulator wins in court, it will seek declarations and financial penalties against Montu, Alternaleaf and company director Christopher Strauch.
In response to a question on the similarity between the name Telehealth Sector Working Group and Telehealth Working Group, a spokesman for Montu said its “ambition is wider in scope”.
“While the name may echo earlier work, this is a completely independent initiative,” they told The Medical Republic.
“The previous Telehealth Working Group focused on reviewing telehealth within the context of the Medicare Benefits Schedule – a narrow but important scope.
“In contrast, the Telehealth Sector Working Group brings together a far broader coalition of stakeholders: industry leaders, clinicians, policy experts, and patient advocates, all focused on the future of virtual care more broadly.”
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