What Does “Agnostic Prescribing” Actually Mean?

You might have heard the term agnostic prescribing floating around — especially in areas like medicinal cannabis.

It sounds philosophical. Slightly mysterious. Possibly something to do with religion…

It’s not.

In healthcare, agnostic prescribing simply means this: the clinician has no financial allegiance to a particular product, brand, supplier or distributor.

No ownership.
No kickbacks.
No “special relationship”.
No quietly nudging you toward the product that keeps the lights on.

Just clinical judgement. Full stop.

Why Does This Matter?

Because prescribing should be based on:

• Your diagnosis

• Your symptoms

• Your past treatment response

• Your risk profile

• The available evidence

• Your preferences

It should not be based on:

• What the clinic stocks

• What the clinic owns

• What has the highest margin

• What the distributor is “incentivising” this quarter

Medicine is not a loyalty programme.

A Practical Example: Medicinal Cannabis

Let’s take medicinal cannabis, because it’s a very clear example.

There are dozens of products available in Australia — oils, flower, capsules, varying THC/CBD ratios, different terpene profiles, different delivery methods.

Yet some clinics operate on a very limited formulary. Why?

Sometimes it’s convenience.
Sometimes it’s logistics.
Sometimes it’s because they own or are financially aligned with a specific supplier.

If a clinic profits from the flower it prescribes, or has distribution agreements, or only uses two brands — that’s not agnostic prescribing.

That’s vertical integration.

Which is great for supermarkets.
Less ideal for personalised medicine.

The Antidepressant Analogy

Imagine walking into a GP clinic and saying:

“I’m struggling with depression.”

And the doctor replies:

“Great news — we offer two antidepressants.”

There are around 40 different-and-great antidepressants available in Australia across multiple classes.

Limiting someone to two options because “that’s what we use here” would be absurd.

You’d want access to the full toolbox.

And rightly so.

The same principle applies to any therapeutic area — including medicinal cannabis.

So What Does an Agnostic Clinic Look Like?

An agnostic clinic:

• Does not own the product it prescribes

• Does not earn commission from specific brands

• Does not receive kickbacks from distributors

• Does not limit prescribing to a narrow in-house formulary

• Selects products based on clinical suitability, not margin

In other words: the prescription is about you, not the supply chain.

Groundbreaking concept, we know.

Why We Think This Matters

Healthcare only works when trust exists.

When financial incentives blur clinical decision-making, even subtly, that trust erodes.

Agnostic prescribing protects:

• Clinical integrity

• Therapeutic flexibility

• Patient autonomy

• Long-term safety

It also means if something doesn’t suit you, we change it — not because it’s off contract, but because it’s not right for you.

The Bottom Line

Agnostic prescribing isn’t trendy branding.

It’s simply good medicine.

When you see a clinician, you deserve the full landscape of available options — not a curated menu designed around a business model.

Healthcare should be independent, evidence-informed, and patient-first.

Virtu health is anagnostic prescribing clinic in Australia, one of few.