Online Medical Weed Prescriptions Are Accepted But Patients Need To Obtain Physical Signature, Kamra Tal-Ispiżjara Says
Prescriptions for medical weed sent online will still be accepted but patients will need to obtain a physical signature from their doctor, the Kamra tal-Ispiżjara has said.
This comes after the Kamra tal-Ispiżjara directly informed pharmacists and doctors around the island that a medical cannabis prescription should not be accepted without a signed white control card.
Referring to the latest circular by the Kamra, this was meant to remind pharmacists of the “legal obligations specific to the dispensing of medical cannabis as per SPH circular 2-2018 and SOP to Authorise Prescription and Dispensing of Medical Cannabinoid Preparations,” the Kamra said.
However, back in 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists and doctors were informed that patients can obtain their medicine without the doctor’s signature on the white control card and through an online prescription to minimise contact.
Doctors were instructred to forward a photo or scan of the green prescription to the pharmacy of the patient’s choice.
The pharmacist would then dispense and mark the white control card for the patient, with signature, date, and pharmacy stamp.
Upon contacting the Kamra tal-Ispiżjara on the above document, it explained how this was issued to pharmacists to ensure that patients continue to have access to their medicine during the pandemic.
“The document that you have attached is Kamra’s SOP dated 16th March 2020, which was issued to pharmacists during the early covid-19 pandemic days to ensure that patients continue to have access to their narcotic and psychotropic medicines in a safe scenario,” the President of the Kamra Mary Ann Sant Fournier said.
“This was updated by the more detailed SOP dated 30th March 2020,” she said, however, she refused to present the mentioned SOP.
“These SOPs addressed various scenarios, the relevant reference in this context to prescribing and dispensing in the private practice scenario.”
As stated in the law, a green prescription and a valid control card are required, in order to curb abuse and protect the patient.
“In addition, nowhere did the Kamra state that online prescriptions are not accepted and this still stands. A green prescription signed by the prescribing doctor and forwarded to the pharmacy email as an attachment is acceptable, but the white control card signed by the doctor must be presented to the pharmacist to complete the dispensing process,” they said.
However, digital signatures for the control card are still not being accepted, a practice that is legal throughout the EU.
Speaking with Lovin Malta, the Health Ministry outlined that “the protocols and legislation for prescribing and dispensing medical cannabis were not amended during the pandemic”.
It also added that the above circular from 2020 was never approved by the Superintendent of Public Health.
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