September 2019 Newsletter for Ohio's CTR Physicians

The CTR newsletter is distributed to physicians with an active CTR and provides important updates for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. 

The State Medical Board of Ohio approved 10 new certificate to recommend medical marijuana (CTR) applications in September bringing the total number of active certified physicians to 561.

Qualifying Conditions Update 

On September 11, the State Medical Board of Ohio voted to reject the petitions for anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

The board could review these conditions at a later date if additional studies or evidence are brought forth in the petition process. The next window for petitions will be November 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. The board also voted to set the following year’s petition window to November 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

Operational Dispensaries

Ohio now has 30 operational dispensaries where a patient with a recommendation may purchase their medical marijuana product. 
 

SB 57 Hemp Products Update

Recent updates to state law (SB 57) changed the definition of marijuana in Ohio. Hemp and hemp products such as CBD oil, containing no more than three-tenths of a percent (0.3%) THC, are no longer considered to be marijuana in Ohio and are therefore legal to use outside of the medical marijuana program.

A physician, physician assistant, or massage therapist, acting within their scope of practice may apply CBD oil as a topical application if it has less than 0.3% THC. Similarly, hemp products can now be sold outside of a licensed medical marijuana dispensary. Please see more information from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, who is tasked with establishing Ohio’s Hemp Cultivation and Processing Program.

Medical Board licensees should also consider consulting with private legal counsel about the ramifications of the FDA’s caution against making unsubstantiated medical claims in the selling of hemp products such as CBD oil. You can see the FDA statement on the Agriculture Improvement Act here.

Renewing Recommendations

For physicians, the process of renewing a recommendation adds an extra step beyond the typical issuance of a recommendation. When renewing a patient’s recommendation, physicians will be asked to complete a recommendation renewal survey with information provided by the patient. Please refer to this guidance document on recommendation renewal for more information.

Patient & Caregiver Registration Renewals

Registrations in the Patient & Caregiver Registry are valid until the expiration date found on the Registry card. Patients and caregivers will renew their registrations the same way they activated their original registrations, by submitting payment information in the Registry. Ninety days prior to their registration’s expiration date, registrants will see a button labeled “Renew Registration” on their Registry profile. By clicking that button, they can renew their registration by submitting payment information once again. The Board of Pharmacy will publish a guidance document regarding registration renewals in the coming weeks.    

Product ID Naming Convention

All medical marijuana products sold in a dispensary must have a Product ID, which is approved before sale. Each form and method of administration has its own Product ID naming convention, which is used to identify each product in OARRS. The Board of Pharmacy recently published guidance to help OARRS users understand the information contained in a Product ID.

Available Products Update

Below, we’ve listed the types of products currently available through the Medical Marijuana Control program. This list of products is expected to grow as the program continues to mature.
 

Physician Annual Report 

The standard of care in rule 4731-32-03 requires each physician to submit an annual report to the Medical Board. To collect the annual report data, the Medical Board will be sending a survey to all physicians with a CTR. Each physician will be asked to give their professional opinion on the effectiveness of medical marijuana for the conditions for which it has been recommended. The board will send the survey after approximately one year of patient use and product availability in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.

Board Seeks Subject Matter Experts

The State Medical Board of Ohio has been tasked with reviewing the petitions to add qualifying medical conditions to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP). The board is currently seeking qualified subject matter experts to review the materials submitted in support of these petitions.

The next period for petitions of proposed diseases or conditions will be November 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, with the review by subject-matter experts immediately to follow.

Pursuant to Ohio Administrative Code 4731-32-05, the petition must detail:

(1) The name and contact information for the person submitting the petition;

(2) The specific disease or condition requested to be added as a qualifying condition;

(3) Information from experts who specialize in the study of the disease or condition;

(4) Relevant medical or scientific evidence pertaining to the disease or condition;

(5) Consideration of whether conventional medical therapies are insufficient to treat or alleviate the disease or condition;

(6) Evidence supporting the use of medical marijuana to treat or alleviate the disease or condition, including journal articles, peer-reviewed studies, and other types of medical or scientific documentation;

(7) Letters of support provided by physicians with knowledge of the disease or condition. This may include a letter provided by the physician treating the petitioner, if applicable.

The subject matter expert shall render a written opinion on the suitability of medical marijuana for the proposed disease or condition within 45 days following receipt of the materials to be reviewed. Board personnel will communicate instructions to the expert as to the format of the report. We anticipate the report from a subject matter expert to be 2-5 pages in length.

If you are interested in becoming a subject matter expert reviewer, please submit a completed questionnaire and a current copy of your curriculum vitae to donald.davis@med.ohio.gov. Following receipt of this information, your name will be added to our list of subject matter experts. When the board receives a petition matching your background, experience, and specialty, board personnel will contact you with further details.

Search Map Feature

If you applied for a CTR for any purpose other than making patient recommendations (e.g. research, specialized CME, etc.) please let us know and we will not feature your contact information on the map.

If you received your CTR this month, or have not yet provided all of the addresses you wish to list on the medical marijuana physician locator, please complete the survey below. Your name and practice address will not appear on the search map until your survey is submitted. 

Standard of Care

All physicians with an active CTR are expected to follow the full list of requirements in Rule 4731-32-03 Standard of care in the Ohio Administrative Code. 

Resources

  • For questions about your CTR, email MedicalMarijuana@med.ohio.gov.
  • For questions about technical difficulties accessing the Registry, call the Appriss Help Desk at 1-833-276-0100.
  • Additional resources can be found on the medical marijuana website. Click here to view.

OMMCP Helpline
1-833-4OH-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.

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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