The prescription process for medical cannabis is slightly different from what you may be used to with other medication, but our expert medical cannabis consultants are on hand to offer help and advice. Whether you suffer from chronic pain, anxiety or other conditions such as Crohn’s disease, you’ll speak to one of our specialists who will talk you through the process.
After that, your medical cannabis will be delivered to your front door, whether in the form of flower, oil, cartridges or capsules.
Mamedica founder Jon Robson and two of Mamedica’s expert consultants explain how it works.
How do you start the process?
Patients can either self-refer via our eligibility form on our website or they can request their GP or private doctor to refer them, again via our website.
Robson says, ‘When patients complete our online eligibility questionnaire, we collect quite an in-depth amount of information within the onboarding process. This enables us to identify what treatment might work, before a patient has a consultation with their specialist (for instance, pain or psychiatry.’)
What do you have to do to get a prescription?
To get a prescription, you have to meet the legislative criteria set out by the British Government, explains Dr Farrah Ayob, a pain specialist and one of Mamedica’s consultants.
‘You have to have tried at least two different treatments for your condition,’ Dr Ayob says. ‘Then you will need to ensure we can access your medical records, to confirm your condition and previous medications, to qualify for a consultation with myself or any of the doctors that are licensed to prescribe. We’ll discuss your case, and make sure it’s safe to prescribe to you.’
Who are the doctors who prescribe medical cannabis?
The doctors who prescribe medical cannabis are specialists, experts in fields ranging from pain to neurology to cancer, explains Mamedica founder Jon Robson.
Robson says, ‘Many of our consultants have been prescribing medical cannabis in the UK for anywhere between six months to two years.’
‘A lot of the feedback we’re hearing from prescribers is that they’re getting tremendous job satisfaction from patients coming back and actually saying, this is really helping me.’
We take care of everything in house, from the moment the prescription is written to the point where it’s delivered to your door.
What does the consultation involve?
The consultation will establish whether you are an experienced or inexperienced medical cannabis user, says consultant Dr Neel Umapathy.
The consultant will also discuss your conditions and your medical history, Dr Umapathy explains.
Dr Umapathy says, ‘The consultation takes into account your medical history, the indication for cannabis and whether there are any contraindications – and also issues such as side effects.’
Where do you go to get your cannabis?
Medical cannabis is delivered directly to your door. Unlike other prescriptions, you don’t have to go and collect it, explains Mamedica’s Jon Robson.
Robson says, ‘We take care of everything in house, from the moment the prescription is written to the point where it’s delivered to your door. All prescriptions are sent directly to our internal pharmacy and delivered on a next-day basis to the patient’s home address.’
Very few patients don’t get any benefit. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try a different combination until we get one that works
What form does it arrive in?
There are various forms of medical cannabis, including flower which can be vaped, or oil which can be consumed sublingually (under the tongue), says Robson.
‘It’s not a one-size-fits-all,’ says Robson, ‘There are a number of different delivery mechanisms for these cannabis based prescription medicines. It’s down to what the condition is, and what the consultant thinks will help.’
What happens next?
After the initial consultation, Mamedica will get in touch to ask how the medical cannabis is working, says Dr Neel Umapathy.
Dr Umapathy says, ‘Very few patients don’t get any benefit. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try a different combination until we get one that works.’
