To best assist our patients and caregivers, Duber Medical has reviewed the most recent COVID-19 updates coming out of the Ohio Board of Pharmacy in regards to the Medical Marijuana program. Below is a summary of the new COVID-19 guidance, as well as a few of the questions we’ve received about it – aka So, what does this actually mean?
On December 1st, 2020, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy announced that Gov Mike DeWine had signed House Bill (HB) 404, which extended Patient and Caregiver medical marijuana card expiration dates. For any cards with an expiration date between March 9th, 2020 through April 1st, 2021, the MMJ card expiration date has automatically been extended to July 1st, 2021.
So what does this really mean? Patients should be aware that they will still need an active doctor’s recommendation on file, so HB 404 does not waive the need for a renewal appointment with your MMJ-certified doctor. However, once a patient meets with the doctor for their renewal and their yearly recommendation is on file, a patient does not need to login to the site and pay to renew their card to continue using it. At this time, the requirement to login and pay the annual renewal fee has been pushed out to July 1, 2021.
When I login to view my new recommendation, will I see the extended expiration date of July 1st? No. The Board of Pharmacy stated in their letter that patients will not have cards updated to reflect the new expiration date, but that any cards with an expiration date March 9th, 2020 through April 1st, 2021 will be considered valid and should be accepted by dispensaries.
Anything else I should consider when using the extension on expired cards? Yes, typically the card expiration date is in cycle with the doctor’s recommendation and patient refill calendar, all of which are good for 1 year. A typical renewal year for most patients would look like this:
1) Meet with doctor on 1/1/2020
2) Card is issued and recommendation is put on file on 1/1/2020
3) Card expiration and recommendation expiration date align to January 2021
With this change, a recommendation can be put on file and used without renewing the card until July 2021, which puts the annual card renewal date out of cycle with the doctor recommendation and refills calendar. This is not necessarily a problem, it just requires the patient to keep note of both their recommendation expiration timeline (i.e. when refills run out and they need to see a doctor again) and when their card expires and they need to login to pay the annual renewal fee.
Duber Medical believes all patients deserve access to medical marijuana, especially during these unprecedented and trying times. We’ve extended our $135 sale on renewal consultations; doctors are available 7 days a week for Zoom or phone telemedicine consultations. Any patient receiving a renewal recommendation will have their it on file within an hour after their appointment.
As always, patients, caregivers and anyone else with a question regarding the Ohio Medical Marijuana program can contact their helpdesk at mmcpregistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov or by giving them a call at 833-464-6627. You can also give the Duber Medical support team a call or text at 833-977-2424. We’re here to help!
