April 2020 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 has approved 8 new certificate to recommend medical marijuana (CTR) applications since the March board meeting. As of April 8, 2020, the total number of active certified physicians is 623.

Changes to the Patient and Caregiver Process
Telemedicine

As a reminder, the State Medical Board of Ohio voted to suspend enforcement of telemedicine regulations for licensees during the COVID-19 pandemic. This allows physicians with a CTR to use telemedicine in place of in-person visits to make recommendations and renewals for medical marijuana.

Physicians must document their use of telemedicine and meet minimal standards of care. The Medical Board will provide advance notice before resuming enforcement of the above regulation when the state emergency orders are lifted.

Click here to view the current state and federal Telemedicine Guidance.

 
Temporary Expansion of Caregiver Registration

CTR physicians are also encouraged to add caregivers for their medical marijuana patients, as many patients may be at higher risk for illness and should not be visiting dispensaries to purchase their medical marijuana.

In order to expedite the caregiver registration process and reduce exposure to higher risk patients during the COVID-19 outbreak, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy issued guidance for caregiver registration that authorizes a patient to have up to three caregivers. Additionally, the guidance permits caregivers to be added by submitting an application directly to the Board of Pharmacy. This guidance, along with the Board of Pharmacy's new Caregiver Registration Application, can be accessed here.

Medical Marijuana CME

Effective March 9, 2020 - March 1, 2021, the Medical Board voted to suspend enforcement of CE requirements for all license renewals, including the annual requirement for 2 hours of continuing medical education in medical marijuana.

COVID-19 Response
The resources listed below are available to you as guidance during this COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

CTR Physician Survey

The State Medical Board of Ohio has emailed a survey to physicians with a certificate to recommend that meets the annual report requirement in Ohio Revised Code 4731.30 and Ohio Administrative Code 4731-32-03. The survey asks physicians to describe their observations regarding the effectiveness of medical marijuana in treating patients and provide information about patient interactions. 

*Physicians who have already taken the survey do not need to take further action.

State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Updates
Photo Identification Requirements

To address patient access and closures of BMVs around the state, the Board of Pharmacy has adopted additional guidance on photo identification requirements. Click here to view the guidance. 

Sales to Patients and Caregivers Outside the Dispensary Department (“Curbside Pickup”)

To reduce opportunities for patient and caregiver exposure during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Board of Pharmacy has adopted a resolution to permit medical marijuana dispensaries to temporarily conduct sales to patients and caregivers outside of the dispensary department. Click here to view more information on this resolution.

 

Accepting Phone Orders for Medical Marijuana

To further protect patients, caregivers, and dispensary employees during the public health emergency, the Board of Pharmacy now permits a patient/caregiver to telephone a medical marijuana dispensary and place an order for the sale of medical marijuana. Click here to view the guidance.

Operational Dispensaries

Ohio has 51 operational dispensaries where a patient with a recommendation may purchase their medical marijuana product. 

Click the map to view the dispensary locations or to download a complete list of Ohio-licensed dispensaries.

 

Available Products Update

To help inform physicians choosing to include instructions for use, the types of products currently available through the Medical Marijuana Control Program are listed below. 



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. 

License Number

Please be aware, now that you have been granted a certificate to recommend, your official license number includes the suffix  CTR. Example: 35.12345CTR. 

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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