Dr Richard Chye

Internal, Pain & Palliative Medicine Physician
Supportive Care Physician
Medicinal Cannabis Clinic

Professor Richard Chye is the Director of Supportive and Palliative Care at St Vincent’s and Prince of Wales Hospital. He has worked in Palliative Care for more than 28 years, and has integrated community, inpatient, hospital consultative, and private palliative care services across Eastern Sydney; and created the first Academic Centre of Palliative Care in Sydney. He is Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Notre Dame Australia & at the University of Technology Sydney; and Adjunct Assoc Professor of Medicine at the University of New South Wales.
He was integral in the formation of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine and was awarded the RACP’s highest award, the John Sands medal for his efforts leading to the recognition of the specialty of Palliative Medicine by the Australian government. He was also awarded the inaugural Lyn Taylor Award for Leadership in Palliative Care in recognition for his efforts to develop Palliative Care in New South Wales.
 
He is involved in several Commonwealth and State government committees surrounding palliative care. He is currently working with several national health institutions such as the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority and was a board member of Palliative Care Australia.

He has also been involved in several positive national documentaries about the philosophy of Palliative Care with ABC and SBS.
About Richard Chye and Medicinal Cannabis
Richard Chye leads a palliative care clinical trials program at Sacred Heart, which includes a trial using vaporised cannabis to improve cancer anorexia.  He is a member of two other successful research teams investigating the use of cannabis in palliative care patients. He leads the Medicinal Cannabis Compassionate Access Program (MCCAP) at Sacred Heart and is an inaugural member of the Australian Advisory Council of the Medicinal Use of Cannabis.

In the last 10 months to February 2018, Prof Chye has received authority and successful treated more than 20 patients with legally authorised medicinal cannabis, making him the largest individual prescriber of legally authorised medicinal cannabis for adults in Australia.  He has had a 100% success rate in obtaining authority to prescribe legally authorised medicinal cannabis from the TGA (Commonwealth government) and NSW Health.