Here’s the introduction to the piece at Scoop
There are concerns that government ‘haste’ to widen patient access to cannabis-based medicines by year’s end will expose doctors to legal threat, leaving them caught in the crossfire between patient demand and their professional obligations.
In a Viewpoint article published in this Friday’s New Zealand Medical Journal, researchers from both the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) and Otago University argue that the current mis-alignment of legislation and professional standards in prescribing regulations will put New Zealand doctors in an impossible situation, leaving many reluctant to prescribe cannabis-based medicines due to their having insufficient trial, safety and efficacy data, running the risk of patient harm. Co-author Dr Irene Braithwaite, a Deputy-Director at the MRINZ, says with time running out to amend and clarify existing regulations, most doctors will shy away from prescribing cannabis medicines once they are able to, resulting in a potential backlash from frustrated patients.
The full text of the 16.8.19 editorial can be found at the following link (paywall – members only)
