Cannabis advocates and industry experts often refer to long-term medical cannabis consumption as a ‘journey’. It is so named because there is lots to learn. So much so that the learning probably never stops. That being the case, here is a question: do you need a ‘medical cannabis team’ to assist you on your journey?
A Trend in Modern Healthcare
The proposal of a medical cannabis team is neither a joke nor a cynical acceptance of medical cannabis’ reality. Rather, it is based on the current trend of healthcare teams in modern medicine. The healthcare team concept came about when the federal government made the decision – via the Affordable Care Act – to get away from the fee-for-service model in favor of outcome-based care.
Think of a patient being treated for pneumonia in the hospital. Her healthcare team would consist of all her nurses, her GP, a hospitalist doctor, any specialists brought in to help, and perhaps a patient advocate or social services representative. The various team members would be expected to collaborate to ensure she is well taken care of.
Could we apply a similar model to the medical cannabis journey? And if so, what would a medical cannabis team look like in practical terms?
Medical Cannabis Team Members
If I were designing a medical cannabis team, I would start with a patient’s GP. The GP is the one medical provider who best knows the patient’s medical history. His inclusion on the team would be a given. If the GP is not the one to make the medical cannabis recommendation, then we need to bring in the medical provider or organization responsible for that portion.
BeehiveMed is a Salt Lake City, Utah, organization that helps patients get their medical marijuana cards in Utah. They explain that state law recognizes two types of medical providers in Utah. A patient could utilize either without ever going to his GP. So whoever makes the actual recommendation automatically becomes a member of the medical cannabis team.
After that you have:
Pharmacists – Medical cannabis pharmacies in Utah are required to have licensed pharmacists on-site whenever the doors are open. I assume such a provision is pretty uniform across the country. That would make the pharmacist part of the team.
Pharmacy Techs – Medical cannabis pharmacies are staffed by technicians licensed to conduct the retail side of things. While these techs are not allowed to offer medical advice, they can answer questions and advise patients on brands, delivery methods, etc. They should be part of the team as well.
Therapists – Medical cannabis treatment is rarely conducted in isolation. In many cases, patients also receive some sort of physical or mental therapy. Some receive both. This would suggest that therapists should be part of the medical cannabis team.
Family members are often excluded from healthcare teams in hospital settings. But it is not supposed to be that way. The idea of outcome-based care demands that family members be included in all decisions. I would suggest something similar with a medical cannabis team.
If a patient wants to include advice and counsel from family members, she ought to be able to do so without interference or condemnation from the rest of the team. Family members may not be qualified to give medical advice, but they do know the patient more intimately than any other team members. Their voices need to be heard.
So, is the medical cannabis team proposal viable? I believe it is. If we are going to treat cannabis as a medicine, we should go all the way with it.