Officials in New York have made two changes to the state’s medical marijuana program aimed at increasing patient access to the program, according to a Pix 11 report. The new rules allow for the home delivery of medicine and permit nurse practitioners to certify patients for marijuana therapies.
Both of the recommendations were included in the Department of Health’s two-year report and are the only measures currently being integrated into the program from about a dozen endorsed by the department.
“We are constantly evaluating the program to make it more effective for patients and practitioners, and we believe that the implementation of these recommendations will do just that,” Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said.
Stephen Ferrara, executive director of the Nurse Practitioner Association NYC, said that nurse practitioners have the education and experience to diagnose patients suffering from the serious conditions for which medical marijuana use is approved in New York.
“Allowing nurse practitioners to participate in New York’s program will provide greater access to New Yorkers of all ages and health conditions, since these New Yorkers are increasingly choosing a nurse practitioner as their health care provider,” he said.
Other changes being considered to the program include allowing medical marijuana to be held and administered in schools and doubling the number of registered organizations permitted to sell the drug from five to 10.
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