Sask college of physicians quotes the canadian medical association on it's website for starters
The College's Concerns
Health Canada disclaimer on its website:
“Cannabis is not an approved therapeutic product and the provision of this information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the use of this product, or cannabis generally, by Health Canada.”
if seeking access the college makes sure to communicate the fact it is a legal position over a medical one
Obtaining a Prescription for Cannabis for Medical Purposes
Patients must first obtain a medical document from their primary treating licensed health care practitioner (physician or nurse practitioner who is the main health practitioner responsible for treating your condition and symptoms) in order to purchase and use cannabis for medical purposes.
note :
primary treating licensed health care practitioner
this is important in sask. GPs have been able to pull access if they do not agree with the prescribing physician. the college treats GPs as your primary practioner and defaults to that position. it's the GPs that face the most pressure.
note medical document - that is the standard document provided by health canada. this is the document the physician is being pressured to not complete or withold. some clinics will now tell you they do not provide this document in completed form.
this is the document i can't get signed at present - standard health canada form.
this is the process the sask college uses
1. Meet with your primary treating Health Care Practitioner to discuss whether medical cannabis could treat your symptoms. Your health care practitioner will review your medical history and may require you to undergo medical testing to assess your condition
doing this right now. just finished a battery of tests
2. Your primary treating Health Care Practitioner may then decide to prescribe medical cannabis as a treatment for your symptoms (or he or she may recommend a different course of treatment) if he or she feels that it is clinically appropriate.
this is pretty standard in any province. the college here emphasizes the
may (not)
3. To comply with the College’s bylaw, you will be asked to sign a treatment agreement outlining your medical and legal responsibilities with regards to your prescription for medical cannabis.
the medical part of this document should be the same as above.
the legal document is specific to sask. curious if any other provinces require it.
there was always a legal document we had to sign, this seems to be more restrictive here now. i have asked for a copy to review, but have been told it is not possible to get the current one as it is the property of the college. will post when i get one. it is not published, but it can't be hard to get.
4. Your primary treating Health Care Practitioner will complete and sign the medical document you will need to access your prescription for medical cannabis.
pretty sure this is also standard in every province.
this is sask college specific expectations - somewhat similar to other provinces
Some of the expectations outlined in the College’s bylaw are described below.
1. A physician may only prescribe marijuana for a patient for whom the physician is the primary treating physician for the condition for which the marijuana is prescribed.
2. Prior to prescribing marijuana, a physician must review the patient’s medical history, review relevant records pertaining to the condition for which the marijuana is prescribed and conduct an appropriate physical examination.
3. A physician who prescribes marijuana may only do so after the patient signs a written treatment agreement*, which contains the following:
(a) A statement by the patient that the patient will not seek a prescription for cannabis from any other physician during the period for which the cannabis is prescribed;
(b) A statement by the patient that the patient will utilize the cannabis as prescribed, and will not use the cannabis in larger amounts or more frequently than is prescribed;
(c) A statement by the patient that the patient will not give or sell the prescribed cannabis to anyone else, including family members;
(d) A statement by the patient that the patient will store the cannabis in a safe place;
(e) A statement by the patient that if the patient breaches the agreement, the physician may refuse to prescribe further cannabis.
not all expectations are published to the public.
then there is this. only required in sask.
PHYSICIAN RECORD: Prescribing physicians must retain a single record, separate from other patient records, which can be inspected by the College, and which contains:
(a) The patient’s name, health services number and date of birth;
(b) The quantity and duration for which cannabis was prescribed;
(c) The medical condition for which cannabis was prescribed;
(d) The name of the licensed producer from which the cannabis will be obtained, if known to the physician.
since february the sask college recommends adhereing to the simplified guide for prescribing found here
simplified guide
essentially says don't prescribe. physicians prescribing oustside of these
guidelines invite scrutiny from the sask college.
i have reached out to others locally of similiar mind. have become a bit of an activist and we are seeking legal opinion. my doctor is on board. the college is not a legal entity even though they have the authority to pull a physicians license. we have lost doctors to other provinces over this already.