Among the states with active medical cannabis programs are those requiring dispensaries to have state-licensed pharmacists on-site whenever their doors are open. Utah is one of those states. They are on-site pharmacy mandate is a good thing for a number of reasons.
Beehive Pharmacy operates two locations in Utah; one in Salt Lake City and the other in Brigham City. Their on-site pharmacists do what all the other cannabis pharmacists in Utah do:
- Dispense medications
- Consult with patients
- Answer questions
- Approve purchases
One of the things that makes Utah’s mandate so impressive is that pharmacists must complete additional training before they can be certified to work in a medical cannabis pharmacy. When patients visit Beehive Farmacy, they have access to a pharmacist who is fully qualified to advise on cannabis.
Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System
All forms of cannabis, whether medicinal or recreational, interact with the human body through the endocannabinoid system. This system influences nearly every critical biological function to some degree. Its importance cannot be understated within the broader topic of pharmacology. Therefore, truly understanding how medical cannabis can benefit a patient requires a thorough understanding of the endocannabinoid system.
This is where pharmacists excel. Pharmacists study the endocannabinoid system in medical school. They also study pharmacology. On the other hand, general practitioners and internists study neither. For this reason alone, medical cannabis patients need access to knowledgeable pharmacists.
Not in Exact Science
A pharmacist’s knowledge and experience is invaluable in a medical cannabis scenario because treating with cannabis is not an exact science. In the absence of approved medicines and prescription standards, patients need to try a variety of doses and delivery methods to figure out the best line of treatment. Doing so is made easier with the advice of a pharmacist.
Pharmacists can answer questions about dosage and frequency. They can explain different delivery methods and how they impact THC bioavailability. And when supplied with patient tracking data, a pharmacist can recommend a better treatment plan.
I am guessing most people do not consult with their pharmacists when picking up a traditional prescription. Perhaps most medical cannabis patients don’t consult with their pharmacists either. But when patients do need advice or answers to their questions, they should have access to the most qualified individuals. Those individuals in a medical cannabis environment are the pharmacists on staff at dispensaries.
Things Are Constantly Changing
I have given you two reasons explaining why having pharmacists on-site at medical cannabis dispensaries is a good thing. Let me give you one more: things in medical cannabis are constantly changing. Furthermore, the current pace of change should continue for the foreseeable future.
What is changing? For starters, we have seen an influx in research over the last several years. The research is revealing a lot about cannabis that we did not know before. A pharmacist is the most competent professional to understand the research due to their training. By contrast, expecting patients to understand the research does not make sense.
There are also regulatory changes to consider. There are changes in industry standards, product potency, cannabinoid and terpene profiles, and even approved delivery methods. All these changes must be understood through the lens of pharmacology.
Personally, I appreciate the fact that some states mandate staffing medical cannabis dispensaries with trained pharmacists. I am not a medical cannabis patient. But if I were, I would be most comfortable talking to a pharmacist about my treatment plan. The pharmacist would be the first person I would ask about dosing, delivery method, efficacy, and side effects.
