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Update for Ohio's
CTR Physicians
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In the upcoming weeks, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy will activate the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program’s Patient & Caregiver Registry. The private industry responsible for growing the plants, regulated by the Ohio Department of Commerce, has indicated that there will be a small amount of product available in the next few months.
We learned from other states during the early days of their medical marijuana programs that a limited supply of product was initially available for sale to patients, and that sold out quickly, causing dispensaries to close temporarily. We anticipate this will occur in Ohio as well during the industry’s start-up phase. Over time, as more cultivators come online, that problem will resolve itself.
We are providing the following information so you may prepare for the activation of the Patient & Caregiver Registry in the coming weeks. Please take the time to read through the information and view the training video so you may enter your patients into the registry when it becomes available.
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CTR Physicians:
- Learn how to enter a patient or caregiver into the Patient and Caregiver Registry, once the registry is activated.
- Review the State Medical Board of Ohio’s Standard of Care rules. You will need to:
- See the patient in-person at least once per year
- Maintain a bona fide physician/patient relationship
- Attest in the registry that the patient has a qualifying condition
- Be aware of – and advise your patients of – the likelihood of product shortages during the industry’s start-up phase. Inventory and variety of products will be limited and not all announced dispensary locations may yet be open for business.
- Initially, the only product available to purchase will likely be in plant form.
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Patients:
- Review and share the informational video for patients and caregivers.
- Know the qualifying conditions.
- Find a physician who is certified to recommend medical marijuana.
- Bring an active state driver’s license, Ohio-BMV issued ID card or US Passport with you to the physician’s office. Even children will need to present a valid ID along with their parent/caregiver.
- Once you have received the recommendation from the physician, the physician’s office will enter you into the patient registry (once it is activated). You will automatically receive an email once the doctor makes the recommendation. Patients should click the link to the registry found in the email, log in and activate their patient card by paying the $50 fee.
- Know that affirmative defense, established in House Bill 523, will expire 60 days after the Patient Registry is activated.
- If you are a patient or a caregiver and have additional questions, the Medical Marijuana Control Program Toll-Free Helpline can assist: 1-833-4OH-MMCP (1-833-464-6627).
- A list of provisional dispensary locations can be found here.
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Although dispensaries are anticipated throughout the state, please note that cultivators are just beginning to harvest crops. Even after the plants are grown, they still need to be tested and processed. There are many steps along the way that could delay product on dispensary shelves. The first batches will likely only be available at a handful of dispensaries, and that product will be available in limited quantities and varieties.
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As one of the physicians in the State of Ohio with a certificate to recommend medical marijuana (CTR), it is important that you update your Public Address in eLicense. This information is public and will be published. We encourage you to list the practice address at which you will be seeing patients for medical marijuana recommendations. Currently, only City and ZIP code are listed because of lack of accurate addresses in eLicense.
To update your address, log into eLicense and select "change address" from the options menu on your dashboard page. See below for an example.
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OMMCP Helpline 1-877-4OH-MMCP (1-833-464-6627)
The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program Toll-Free Helpline responds to inquiries from patients, caregivers, and health professionals regarding adverse reactions to medical marijuana, and provides information about available services and additional assistance as needed.
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Check with your personal attorney for additional rule interpretation and how to apply the statute and rules to your specific practice situation.
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med.ohio.gov
eLicense.ohio.gov |
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