Industry Insiders – Fadi Roumieh

Fadi Roumieh has been in the pharmaceutical industry for over two decades, with senior roles in Sales and Marketing and experience launching specialised products across Australasia. His background spans corporate advice, capital raising, and debt and equity finance, alongside pharma business development, market access, and health economics. He has also spent years in strategic marketing – from budgeting and long and short-term planning to developing relationships with key opinion and medical thought leaders.

Outside of work, Fadi enjoys time with family and solving puzzles, and sometimes finds time to ride with his motorcycle buddies on the weekend.

In this interview, we sat down with Fadi to talk about his journey into medicinal cannabis, how clinician attitudes have shifted over the years, the myths that still surround the industry, and where he sees cannabinoid medicine heading next.

You've been in the industry since its early days. What first drew you to medicinal cannabis, and what convinced you it had an important role to play in modern healthcare?

I had been in the pharmaceutical industry since 1997, and in my travels I saw many patients failing modern medicine and living through pain and declining quality of life. When I eventually saw the light and joined the industry, I experienced some amazing stories of people turning their lives around – dancing again, walking, and enjoying life once more. Modern medicine is amazing, but people fall through the gaps and their life spirals out of control. Medicinal cannabis can give patients a glimmer of hope to keep living, and some control in their quality of life.

In your view, what have been the biggest changes in clinician attitudes over the past five years when it comes to prescribing medicinal cannabis, and what still needs to improve?

Most clinicians know about medicinal cannabis and that it works for patients. Over the past five years, the overwhelming body of evidence has become undeniable and should be proposed to patients as an option. Improved forms and delivery technology have increased the efficacy and efficiency of delivery. We need to continue improving the quality of the medicine and increasing the safeguards from a regulatory and legal perspective.

Many people are missing out on appropriate medicinal cannabis therapy for a number of reasons, including stigma, availability of clinicians willing to prescribe, cost, and concerns about medical defence (driving). There's a lot of work that needs to be done. In my opinion, it starts with bringing cultivation and manufacturing standards up to EU GMP or higher, medical college endorsement, and improved access for patients who really need it.

Misinformation around medicinal cannabis remains common. What are some of the biggest myths you encounter, and how can patients and healthcare professionals better distinguish evidence from headlines?

Stigma and misinformation about medicinal cannabis is still rampant, where even amongst healthcare professionals, I sometimes hear "there is no evidence that cannabis works." This doesn't make sense, and I think there are some political motivations behind this reluctance to see the light. In fact, just the other day I read that a study in California found an increase in the number of motor vehicle accidents since cannabis was legalised. This is a very careless and totally false reading of the data.

The fact is that no one has ever died from a cannabis overdose, whereas we know the frequent deaths and addiction caused by opioids. In fact, many physicians prescribing medicinal cannabis accept the harm minimisation that it provides to patients. Healthcare professionals can play a crucial role in informing authorities and the media to correct misconceptions about cannabis, and in treating it like any other medication with impartiality. Some doctors have been very vocal about medicinal cannabis, and we need more to raise their hand and speak up about this important therapy.

Looking ahead, what areas of research or innovation in cannabinoid medicine are you most excited about, and what developments do you think could have the greatest impact on patient care over the next decade?

Firstly, I think patients will have access to higher-quality medicine that is more customised to their medical needs, in forms like patches, creams, and other delivery mechanisms. The development of nano-delivery or controlled release in medicinal cannabis is an amazing thing that will improve effectiveness and reduce cannabinoid load. Secondly, as the industry develops into a more medicalised one, the pharmaceutical industry will become more interested, and that will slowly encourage authorities to regulate appropriately and even consider reimbursement for eligible patients.

If you could leave readers with one piece of insight about the medicinal cannabis industry, and how you see it evolving over the next decade, what would it be?

My hope is for the industry to become more professional, unified, and patient-focused – pushing out the people and organisations that are bringing the industry into disrepute.

Learn More

EQWELLIBRIYUM offers end-to-end consulting for organisations navigating the medicinal cannabis market in Australia. With strategic insights and operational frameworks are designed to help you thrive, we’re here to help you. Learn more by contacting us today at hello@eqwellibriyum.com.

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