Doctor Interest And Official Stats Confirm Cannabis Gaining

“Doctors are increasingly engaged about medicinal
cannabis. They’re receiving a lot more enquiries from
patients and so they’re keen to learn more about
prescribing it,” says Don Budge of MCinfo – a dedicated
and comprehensive medicinal cannabis information service
built and run by DATAPHARM.

His comments follow MCinfo
having a stand at GP CME North (General Practice and Medical
Conference Exhibition) – held from 9 to 12 June in
Rotorua.

“We got a lot
more approaches from delegates this year, which was really
heartening. GPs’ interest is partly patient driven as
Kiwis wake up to the fact New Zealand CBD products have been
available for nine months, and in many cases, are nowhere
near as expensive,” says Mr Budge.

After attracting
more registrations at GP CME, MCinfo.com now reports that
over 1,700 New Zealand doctors and pharmacists have now
registered, with registration free for them.

Every New
Zealand doctor can now prescribe medicinal cannabis for any
health condition, with many Kiwi patients opting for local
products.

Mr Budge says it’s frustrating that some
media stories continue to perpetuate the myth that Kiwi-made
products remain elusive when they’re in fact readily
available nationwide, with prescriptions steadily
climbing.

Official information, recently released by
the Ministry of Health, confirms overall monthly growth in
the number of medicinal cannabis packs supplied since the
start of last year.

From January 2021 to March 2022,
the number of packs of products containing cannabidiol (CBD)
rose from 1891 to 2618. The same period also saw the number
of packs of products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
increased from 26 to 373. While the number of packs
containing both CBD and THC rose from 136 to
1075.

Upon releasing the data, the Ministry of Health
noted that the number of packs supplied cannot be used to
determine the number of prescriptions or the number of
patients. Further, Sativex has consent for distribution as a
medicine, and so the supply of Sativex were not included in
their figures.

“These are not huge numbers but
there’s a definite upward trend when you consider the
total of medicinal cannabis packs supplied each month has
doubled from just over 2,000 in January last year to just
over 4,000 in March this year. No wonder GPs and pharmacists
are wanting to upskill themselves as more Kiwis are asking
questions and pressing for natural, plant-based
solutions,” says Don Budge.

Education sponsor of
MCinfo is Helius Therapeutics – New Zealand’s largest
medicinal cannabis company. It’s delighted the supply of
medicinal cannabis for New Zealand patients is on the rise
but says improving prescriber knowledge remains key to
securing better access for patients.

“GP CME is
always a good indicator as to where doctors are at. It’s
great to see they’re increasingly curious and are
educating themselves about the efficacy, safety, and
prescription of medicinal cannabis. New Zealand’s
3,500-plus practising pharmacists are also keen to give
patients the appropriate advice,” says Carmen Doran, Chief
Executive of Helius Therapeutics.

She
says the provision of a single trusted source of information
with real-time access to ongoing global medicinal cannabis
developments is critical for New Zealand given its Medicinal
Cannabis Scheme only took effect in April 2020.

“New
Zealand-made products are doing well domestically, but what
will prove even more popular are New Zealand-grown and made
products. That’s what Helius are now working on and will
soon bring to market. Overseas patients will also be
attracted to ‘100% Pure’ Kiwi products, with Helius set
to export this year,” says Ms Doran.

While only
MCinfo-registered doctors and pharmacists can access the
prescribers’ portal, anyone can access MCinfo’s
up-to-the-minute information on the use, potential benefits
and risks of CBD, THC, and other medicinal cannabinoid
products. As well as proving virtual resources, MCinfo also
has Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) visiting
doctors.

“The interest in medicinal cannabis from
healthcare professionals is up. Interest from patients is
up, as are the number of packs being supplied into the New
Zealand market. However, there’s more work to do. We’re
calling on other GPs and pharmacists to register on MCinfo
and get ahead of this exciting new frontier of
healthcare,” says Don Budge.

www.mcinfo.com

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