Interest in medicinal cannabis is booming among New Zealand healthcare professionals according to online education platform MCinfo.
The platform, owned and operated by healthcare and pharmaceutical consulting firm Datapharm, has signed up around 1,250 doctors and pharmacists since launching in June.
Datapharm director Don Budge said healthcare professionals have come on board due to an increase in patient enquiries and the fact NZ-made products are now a reality.
He added: “Interest from both patients and prescribers [in] medicinal cannabis has slowly been building in recent years. However, with two local producers GMP-licensed to manufacture medicines, [and] others to follow, it has suddenly become a lot more real.”
Registration to MCinfo is free for doctors and pharmacists, giving them access to resources including clinical fact sheets and a series of Zoom presentations.
Patients and the public can also access information on the use, potential benefits and risks of CBD, THC and other medicinal cannabinoid products, but only registered doctors and pharmacists can access the prescribers’ portal.
Helius Therapeutics is an educational sponsor of the platform, and chief executive Carmen Doran said: “It’s great to see many more healthcare professionals now genuinely curious and actively educating themselves. This is really good news for New Zealand patients.”
