How Patient-Centered Care Is Changing in Ohio
Ohioans have access to a variety of new cannabis patient-centered care tools through a new organization devoted to furthering education for medical marijuana patients. Providing resources to Ohio’s 683 medical marijuana doctors is just one role the Ohio Medical Marijuana Physicians Association (OMMPA) will play in the industry.
OMMPA also works to connect doctors with dispensaries and ancillary businesses/services that further guide patients through the process of choosing their medical marijuana. These connections between doctors and dispensaries will be compliant with all state requirements.
Patient-Centered Care: OMMPA (Background)
Organizational developer and entrepreneur Glenn Perry created the Ohio Medical Marijuana Physicians Association (OMMPA) in May 2019. He saw an opportunity to help physicians—as small business owners—succeed in the cannabis industry once it had become medically legal in Ohio.
Perry partnered with fellow Cincinnati-area medical marijuana advocate Bonnie Rabin and physician Loraine Glaser-Zakem. Dr. Glaser-Zakem was among the pioneering first physicians who were new to the Ohio medical marijuana program in 2018. They came together with the intention of trying to form an organization with the goal of education, sharing best practices, and working issues collectively.
Perry realized there were so many other physicians in Ohio who were also new to the field of medical marijuana that could be helped. He understood the challenges that doctors faced in recommending cannabis products and felt these physicians could also benefit from this information. “I think that connecting with other physicians, seeing what others are doing, it offers a lot of assistance and support to a practice,” Glaser-Zakem said.
Dr. Bridget Williams of Green Harvest Health serves as the lead physician advisor for OMMPA. Her experience in the organization thus far echoes the importance of working together to achieve patient-centered care. Physicians typically operate in silos unless they are in a group practice, Williams explained.
With cannabis, this is very true, especially in Ohio where the medical marijuana program is still rather new. Joining OMMPA creates a network for physicians to further their cannabis education and even team up on research. “We are stronger if we are collaborating, and not trying to compete against one another,” said Williams.
Collaboration & Upcoming Events
Collaboration and shared leadership are two important organizational factors that will greatly impact the future of the medical cannabis industry, Perry said. OMMPA operates in such a way that allows physicians to achieve both of these factors through a network that provides an open communication forum with one another.
Physicians connecting in this way is extremely important in creating a more patient-centered plan for Ohio’s medical cannabis industry, as it allows for the streamlining of practices, services, and resources for these physicians to provide the best recommendations to patients.
Formal meetings with guest speakers and informal meetings for doctors to share best practices and issues are held monthly. Symposiums hosted through
OMMPA offer doctors an opportunity to earn their continuing education credits as well. Aside from the wealth of knowledge from the network of physicians in Ohio who are certified to recommend medical cannabis, another huge benefit to these collaborative conversations is the ability to work together on efforts that greatly benefit patients. Sharing information about new research, treatment options, and other training opportunities has a direct benefit to patients.
Further, OMMPA physicians can contribute to the effort to submit for additional qualifying conditions to be approved for the Ohio medical marijuana program. Continued projects such as these are making all the difference for Ohio’s medical marijuana patients, Perry said.
Virtual Symposium Continued Medical Education
One of the many benefits of joining OMMPA includes opportunities for earning CME (Continued Medical Education) credits at discounted rates. OMMPA works to ensure a variety of opportunities to increase knowledge of the growing medical marijuana program. For their upcoming symposium in April 2021, OMMPA is partnering with The Cleveland School of Cannabis, PIVITAL EDU and KadimaCare.
This is a virtual symposium held on April 11th, 2-5 p.m. Eastern Time. There are a variety of topic choices to choose from for each hour of the symposium. In addition to several non CME credit topics, the CME topics include the endocannabinoid system with Dr. Janice Knox and cannabis in self-directed care and pharmacokinetics with Dr. Jessica Knox. Want to join the symposium? Click here to register.
The Future of MMJ Patient-Centered Care
The future of patient-centered care in Ohio is looking extremely bright. Thanks to the efforts of individuals such as Glenn Perry and organizations like his, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Physicians Association. Collaboration will be the key to this bright future. Several physicians who have become OMMPA members are happy with their
decision. They believe in the successful future of Ohio’s medical marijuana program.
It is crucial for prospective patients and existing patients to have the most accurate, up-to-date information on the Ohio medical marijuana program, which is why MedicateOH is partnering with OMMPA to expand their audience and network. We are so intrigued to see what OMMPA is up to next! Follow along in this series to stay in the loop with us.
If you’re a patient who wants to get matched with an Ohio medical marijuana doctor in your area, email us at medicateOH@medicateOH.com.
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