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Pharmasave Summerland

9515 Main Street PO Box 70 Summerland BC V0H 1Z0

Phone: (250) 494-7088

Pharmasave Summerland

9515 Main Street PO Box 70 Summerland BC V0H 1Z0

Phone: (250) 494-7088

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Medical Cannabis. How can a pharmacist help?

Cannabis for Medical Purposes 

 

We have been receiving many questions from patients about using Cannabis for Medical Purposes.  

  

There is still a lot of confusion though about how to legally access Cannabis, who is a candidate to use it, the legally available options for administering it, as well as how to dose it.  

 

Many people do not realize that store-front shops or dispensaries are still illegal at this point.   

 

Currently in Canada (June 01/17) there are only 2 way to legally access Medical Cannabis.  

1) Licensed Producer – You need to consult your doctor, who fills out forms, sends them to one of the Licensed Producer (LP) of Cannabis (currently 43 in Canada), and the LP mails Cannabis directly to your house.  

  • The Doctor fills out a Medical Form and a Registration form  

     

  • These forms need to be faxed directly from the Dr’s office to the Licensed Producer  

     

  

Only 2 forms of the Cannabis plant are legally available from LP’s 

  • the dried plant  and  

     

  • Cannabis oil  (to be taken orally)

     

(Medical cannabis is not a benefit under the provincial government’s Pharmacare plan, and insurance doesn’t cover it either. Veterans Affairs may cover it for you though if you are covered under the Department of Veterans Affairs.)  

2) You can grow your own cannabis plants or designate someone else to grow it for you.  

  • The doctor still needs to fill out a Medical Form stating he/she believes you should try Cannabis   

     

  • Then you register with Health Canada to begin the process of growing your own supply 

     

 

  

Medical cannabis is not for everyone, however where conventional therapy is not working or meeting a patient’s needs, it may have a role in pain management, reducing nausea or vomiting due to chemotherapy and in other conditions.

 

According to BC College of Physician and Surgeons,   

Medical Cannabis is NOT appropriate for:  

  • Patients under the age of 25  

     

  • Patients with a personal history or strong family of history of psychosis  

     

  • Patient with a current or past history of Cannabis use disorder  

     

  • Have an active substance abuse disorder  

     

  • Patients with cardiovascular or respiratory disease  

     

  • Patients that are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding 

     

 

  

At Pharmasave Summerland we have been educating ourselves about medical cannabis because just a year ago we were honestly quite naïve to the benefits, risks and accessibility of cannabis. Patients would ask us questions and we just didn’t know the answers.   

 

So we had to hit the books and start learning.

  

We have started having consultations with patients educating them and informing them about using Cannabis for medical purposes. 

Most of the consults have been with senior citizens and they are not looking to “get high.” 

 

If you would like to book a consult with a pharmacist to discuss medical cannabis, please give us a call at 250-494-7088.

 

Pharmacists cannot prescribe cannabis, nor do we stock any cannabis products but we can be a resource to provide you some information about medical cannabis, do drug interaction checks with your prescriptions, and communicate with your doctor if they are willing. 

Thank you.