Photo Courtesy of Massachusetts Medical Society
The State Department of Health last week added chronic pain to the list of qualifying conditions for the medical marijuana program, and will allow physician assistants to certify patients for the program.
By Forum Staff
The State Department of Health recently announced two enhancements to New York’s Medical Marijuana Program that, according to the agency, will improve patient access. These measures include authorizing physician assistants to certify patients and adding chronic pain as a qualifying condition.
Physician assistants may now register with DOH to certify patients for medical marijuana as long as their supervising physician is also registered to certify patients.
This regulatory amendment, which was adopted last Wednesday, March 15, will help patients, according to the Health Department, by increasing the number of eligible practitioners, particularly in many rural counties where fewer physicians are available.
And, effective yesterday, March 22, chronic pain will be added as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.
Chronic pain, according to DOH, is defined as “any severe debilitating pain that the practitioner determines degrades health and functional capability; where the patient has contraindications” (the patient has a specific condition/situation in which a therapy normally recommended to manage chronic pain shouldn’t be used because it may be harmful to that patient), “has experienced intolerable side effects, or has experienced failure of one or more previously tried therapeutic options; and where there is documented medical evidence of such pain having lasted three months or more beyond onset, or the practitioner reasonably anticipates such pain to last three months or more beyond onset.”
According to the Health Department, physician assistants who successfully complete the NYSDOH-approved course and are in full compliance with other regulatory requirements must complete an authorization form with their supervising physicians, and mail the form along with the course completion certificate to the Department. Once the information provided is validated, the department indicated that it will send an email confirmation to the physician assistant containing a link that will authorize the physician assistant to register to certify patients.
“Improving patient access to medical marijuana continues to be one of our top priorities, as it has been since the launch of the program,” said Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, M.D. “These key enhancements further that goal. Medical marijuana is already making a difference for patients across New York State, and we are constantly evaluating the program to see how we can make it better.”
Vireo Health of New York, which owns and operates the city’s only medical marijuana dispensary in Elmhurst, praised the Health Department’s latest cannabis-related moves.
“As a physician, I applaud efforts to expand the program based on the existing science and improve access for those patients who could benefit from treatment with dependable, real-dose medical cannabis,” said Dr. Stephen Dahmer, chief medical officer of Vireo Health. “Our entire team is honored to offer compassionate care and third-party tested medical cannabis to new patients who will now qualify with today’s changes in hopes of helping to alleviate their pain.”
Vireo CEO Ari Hoffnung added, “Today’s announcement gives hope to thousands of New York patients suffering from chronic pain. While medical cannabis alone cannot solve the opioid crisis, it could provide a much safer alternative for many patients.”
