New York Makes Step Toward Expanding Medical Cannabis Program
A new amendment has been drafted to allow nurse practitioners who are registered with the New York State Health Department to prescribe medical cannabis, according to WKBW. Before this new amendment, only physicians in the state were able to register to prescribe medical cannabis under the Compassionate Care Act. The program first was enacted in July 2014 to allow certified patients access to medical cannabis in way that protects safety and public health.
Nurses who are interested in becoming certified must pass the online course entitled “Medical Use of Marijuana.” Once completed, nurses can provide the health department with their completed coursework. This opportunity is only awarded to nurse practitioners who are under the supervision of a physician who is also registered.
There is a 45-day period in which the public can comment on this new amendment, which will start on November 30, 2016. Following this public comment period, it is up to the health department to file the amendment to become adopted.
The New York State Health Department has certified more than 740 physicians who have certified over 10,500 medical cannabis patients. Health Commissioner of the Department shared the reasoning for this amendment. “Authorizing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to certify patients will only help to further strengthen the program and improve patient access,” Dr. Zucker said.
Zucker also shared that this process will help patients who live in more rural areas to still become certified, considering there are not very many physicians in rural areas. The department is also continuing its research into finding cannabis as an effective treatment for patients who suffer from chronic pain. The current qualifying conditions for cannabis are Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Huntington’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Neuropathies and spinal cord damage.
