Robert Celt
New Member
Marijuana can now be purchased legally for medical purposes in New York state, but patients seeking to access the drug might face a challenge finding a doctor who can help them get it.
New York's medical marijuana program went live on Jan. 7, with only eight of a planned 20 locations open for patients to purchase the drug. The five companies approved by the state to grow, process and distribute marijuana are working to open the remaining locations.
In the Albany area, the largest hospitals and physicians groups are working to develop policies on whether doctors should participate in the medical marijuana program. Doctors must take a course from the state's Department of Health to be able to certify patients.
Only patients with certain conditions will be eligible for the program. Those conditions include epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, neuropathy, Lou Gehrig's disease, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Because multiple neurological conditions are listed, one independent neurologist with a focus on multiples sclerosis in Albany said he decided to get certified. Dr. Francisco Gomez, who operates an independent neurology practice on Wolf Road, said he's already had multiple patients contact him in the three days since his name was mentioned in a local television report.
His willingness to consider medical marijuana could be a boost to his business, he said.
"There's a benefit to the business but it still has to be a thorough medical care," Gomez said. "I'm still going to be using the same kind of screening ... they're not just going to walk in here and get the certification."
Gomez was previously the chief of the neurology division at Ellis Medicine. He said there might be more hesitation at larger organizations over physicians recommending medical marijuana because of the bureaucracy and levels of review.
For him, "the policies are in my head, not on a piece of paper," Gomez said.
Statewide, 203 physicians have been approved to certify patients for medical marijuana as of Jan. 12, according to the state's health department.
Physicians and other health care providers will soon have access to a database listing the doctors who have been approved to recommend marijuana, Health Department spokesman JP O'Hare said in an email. That would allow the patient's doctor to make a referral.
Doctors at Albany Medical Center, which employs about 450 physicians through its faculty group, are evaluating whether to participate, spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said. That decision will be based on the guidelines published by their various medical specialties, he said.
Albany Med has specialists in several of the illnesses where patients could qualify for the medical marijuana program. Dr. Michael Gruenthal, the director of Albany Med's Neurosciences Institute and chair of neurology, said in an interview last year that marijuana needs to be studied just like other treatments.
Community Care Physicians, the second-largest physicians group in the Albany area with more than 180 doctors, does not have a corporate policy on medical marijuana, spokeswoman Alexis Musto said.
"As of now, it would be an individual physician's decision as to whether or not they take the Department of Health course," Musto said. "We haven't yet had any physicians confirm they were planning to go that route."
Community Care Physicians, which employs more than 100 doctors, is developing a policy with its physicians group, according to a spokeswoman.
Schenectady-based Ellis Medicine, which employs about 170 physicians, does not yet have a policy, CEO Paul Milton said in an interview. He said that would be up to an individual doctor and patient to decide.
"We take care of patients. Our job is to take care of people," Milton said. "We would follow the state standards."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: NY: Where Are The Medical Marijuana Doctors?
Author: Marie J. French
Contact: Albany Business Review
Photo Credit: ThinkStock
Website: Albany Business Review
New York's medical marijuana program went live on Jan. 7, with only eight of a planned 20 locations open for patients to purchase the drug. The five companies approved by the state to grow, process and distribute marijuana are working to open the remaining locations.
In the Albany area, the largest hospitals and physicians groups are working to develop policies on whether doctors should participate in the medical marijuana program. Doctors must take a course from the state's Department of Health to be able to certify patients.
Only patients with certain conditions will be eligible for the program. Those conditions include epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, neuropathy, Lou Gehrig's disease, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Because multiple neurological conditions are listed, one independent neurologist with a focus on multiples sclerosis in Albany said he decided to get certified. Dr. Francisco Gomez, who operates an independent neurology practice on Wolf Road, said he's already had multiple patients contact him in the three days since his name was mentioned in a local television report.
His willingness to consider medical marijuana could be a boost to his business, he said.
"There's a benefit to the business but it still has to be a thorough medical care," Gomez said. "I'm still going to be using the same kind of screening ... they're not just going to walk in here and get the certification."
Gomez was previously the chief of the neurology division at Ellis Medicine. He said there might be more hesitation at larger organizations over physicians recommending medical marijuana because of the bureaucracy and levels of review.
For him, "the policies are in my head, not on a piece of paper," Gomez said.
Statewide, 203 physicians have been approved to certify patients for medical marijuana as of Jan. 12, according to the state's health department.
Physicians and other health care providers will soon have access to a database listing the doctors who have been approved to recommend marijuana, Health Department spokesman JP O'Hare said in an email. That would allow the patient's doctor to make a referral.
Doctors at Albany Medical Center, which employs about 450 physicians through its faculty group, are evaluating whether to participate, spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said. That decision will be based on the guidelines published by their various medical specialties, he said.
Albany Med has specialists in several of the illnesses where patients could qualify for the medical marijuana program. Dr. Michael Gruenthal, the director of Albany Med's Neurosciences Institute and chair of neurology, said in an interview last year that marijuana needs to be studied just like other treatments.
Community Care Physicians, the second-largest physicians group in the Albany area with more than 180 doctors, does not have a corporate policy on medical marijuana, spokeswoman Alexis Musto said.
"As of now, it would be an individual physician's decision as to whether or not they take the Department of Health course," Musto said. "We haven't yet had any physicians confirm they were planning to go that route."
Community Care Physicians, which employs more than 100 doctors, is developing a policy with its physicians group, according to a spokeswoman.
Schenectady-based Ellis Medicine, which employs about 170 physicians, does not yet have a policy, CEO Paul Milton said in an interview. He said that would be up to an individual doctor and patient to decide.
"We take care of patients. Our job is to take care of people," Milton said. "We would follow the state standards."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: NY: Where Are The Medical Marijuana Doctors?
Author: Marie J. French
Contact: Albany Business Review
Photo Credit: ThinkStock
Website: Albany Business Review
