Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare physicians can recommend medical marijuana treatment for eligible patients under Utah's new cannabis program, the health system said Feb. 14.
Four things to know:
1. In December, Utah passed the Medical Cannabis Act to legalize medical marijuana. Since then, Intermountain has been talking with key stakeholders like patients, physicians, nurses and pharmacists to discuss what the law could mean for patients and providers.
2. Intermountain decided to enact a process under which providers can give patients a letter recommending cannabis treatment for a qualifying condition, like epilepsy or cancer.
3. "Intermountain providers, based on their knowledge, experience, and level of comfort with medical cannabis, will be able to provide the letter to patients who have qualifying conditions defined by the Utah Medical Cannabis Act," Mark Briesacher, MD, Intermountain's chief physician executive, said in a news release.
4. Intermountain formed a working group of primary care, neurology, palliative care, emergency medicine, advanced practice clinicians, nursing, and pharmacy specialists to advise leaders on the plan.