Practitioners

qualifying a patient

To legally receive or administer treatment using medical cannabis in Iowa, patients or primary caregivers must have medical cannabis registration cards. To obtain a card, patients are required to submit applications with certification from their primary healthcare practitioners that they have a qualifying debilitating medical condition.

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Learn more on the IDPH website: idph.iowa.gov/cbd/For-Physicians

helpful REsources

A short-list of recommended research, summaries, and guidance involving cannabis and the approved conditions in Iowa.

Research

Research Resources for Practitioners

Who can certify?

To issue a certification for the use of medical cannabidiol to patients, there is no requirement for a Healthcare Practitioner to complete specific training on medical cannabis. A Healthcare Practitioner is defined as a physician (MD/DO), Physician Assistant (PA, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), or a Podiatrist (DPM) within a patients scope of care

Are there restrictions on which conditions certain certifiers can certify for?

As long as the condition is listed as an approved condition in the state of Iowa, a certifier may certify for that condition. The certifier does not need to have a specialty in that condition, for example, a patient with epilepsy could get certified by anyone in their scope of care and would not need to go specifically to a neurologist. The approved conditions are listed below:

PTSD
Chronic Pain
Cancer — with severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, cachexia or severe wasting
Multiple sclerosis with severe and persistent muscle spasms
Seizures
Ulcerative Colitis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Crohn’s disease
Autism
Corticobasal degeneration
Parkinson's disease
AIDS or HIV (as defined in Iowa Code, section 141A.1)
Any terminal illness with a probable life expectancy of under one year — if the illness or its treatment produces one or more of the following: severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, cachexia or severe wasting

How many practitioners are certifying currently

Is this a prescription?

No, the providers role is to double check for the state that a patient has one of the conditions approved by the state's program

Does the patient need to try other medications prior to certification?

No, language requiring multiple therapies to be attempted prior to certification has been removed from statute. This means that a condition does not need to be refractory to standard treatments, and medical cannabis can be tried at any time in the course of disease or disease progression, including as a first-line therapy

What is the additional THC Waiver?

Patients may bring in a waiver to increase the amount of medication that they are able to purchase in a 90 day period. Physicians will write in a cap that the patient can purchase and sign this sheet.

Will I know what dose my patient is receiving?

Certifying providers can be as hands on as they wish. We encourage dialogue between certifier and patient including discussions on dosing, efficacy, and side effects.

How are patients dosed?

All new patients are required to fill out a new patient form, after which a consultation is provided. Patients are provided with information about potential side effects and about titrating dosages. Titrations are done per each product with special titrations for medication sensitive, and pediatric, as well as custom titration cards for those who need multiple product types

What follow up is done with patients?

All new patients are called 7 days after their first visit; patients are encouraged to journal their dosing in provided patient journals and discuss this information with consultants during each visit. Patient surveys are given after 6 months and 1 year of access into the program. For patients that discontinue the program calls are made.

Are purchased tracked in the PMP?

While the program does not have access to the PMP, all products are tracked from seed to sale by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

What are the requirements of healthcare practitioners?

Healthcare practitioners in Iowa are not obligated to provide certification for a medical cannabis registration card, even if the requesting patient has a qualifying medical condition. If a medical practitioner agrees to provide certification, he or she is required to complete the actions listed by the IDPH.

Healthcare practitioners in Iowa are not allowed to write prescriptions for medical cannabis or determine dosing. Dispensary technicians from MedPharm Iowa will work directly with patients and primary care providers to supply the right products and dosing for their treatment.

The role of a primary healthcare practitioner is to consult with their patient about medical cannabis as a treatment option for a debilitating health condition. Their role also includes providing certification for the IDPH that a patient suffers from one of the qualifying conditions for a medical cannabidiol registration card, although they are not required to do so.

How am I protected as a provider?

Iowa’s medical cannabis laws offer protections for healthcare practitioners who comply with the program’s rules and regulations.

A healthcare practitioner is not subject to prosecution for the certification, possession, or administration of marijuana under Iowa law for activities arising directly out of or directly related to the certification or use of medical cannabis for a patient. In addition, a healthcare practitioner is not subject to any civil or disciplinary penalties by the board of medicine or any business, occupational, or professional licensing board or entity, solely for activities conducted relating to a patient’s authorized possession or use of medical cannabis.

How do I let patients know I am open to having conversations about medical cannabis

Patients who are struggling to find a provider can call IDPH for an Opt-in list of providers.

Providers who wish to be added to the opt-in list can call the Iowa Department of Public Health Office of Medical Cannabidiol (515-725-2076) to be added, or can check the Opt-in box on the certifying provider form.

How can I request more information? Do you do other educational sessions?

MedPharm Iowa is happy to host tours and/or educational sessions for those in the health industry or greater community.

Please contact us at info@medpharmiowa.com to arrange a session.

Who is a Practitioner?

Any Iowa licensed MD, DO, PA, ARNP or DPM is able to certify patients for an Iowa medical cannabis card. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) defines a healthcare practitioner as an individual licensed under chapter 148 to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery.

CERTifying is not a prescription.

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MedPharm Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa

Contact Us

info@MedPharmIowa.com
515-410-9100

MedPharm Iowa is not making specific therapeutic claims. The use of the term pharmaceutical, pharmaceutical grade, pharmaceutical dosage forms, etc. are indicative of the process by which new formulation products will be created with the intent of accurately identifying the active ingredients and the amount of each in each dosage form using best practices associated with traditional pharmacy formulations. MedPharm Iowa is seeking to take existing anecdotal evidence and through its own formulation process further identify which cannabis varieties and strains are best suited to which disease states.