Once you’ve registered with the New York State Medical Marijuana Program, you will have two documents:
- Patient Certification,which includes the authorized brand and form of the approved medical marijuana, the administration method, and any limitations on the use of approved medical marijuana product. If a practitioner has a recommendation regarding dosage, it will be included on the certification, although a recommendation on dosage is not a requirement and our pharmacy staff will adjust dosage as necessary in coordination with your physician. In the example below, the Certification Expiration Date is circled in red.
- Patient Registry ID Card, which is your photo ID for entering the dispensary.
KNOW YOUR DATES
- Patient certifications expire up to one year from the date the doctor signs them, however many prescribers specify an earlier expiration date. Pay close attention to the expiration date on your Patient Certification Form. If a patient is terminally ill (as certified by their doctor), the certification does not expire.
- After the certification end date has expired, a patient is required to obtain a new certification from his or her prescriber, followed by obtaining a new Patient Registry ID card from the State.
- IF a patient renews their Patient Certification and application BEFORE their Patient Registry ID card expires, the card would not expire but would instead be linked to the NEW patient certification form.
DOSING RECOMMENDATIONS
- Each Patient is allowed up to 3 Dosing Recommendations at a time determined by the doctor (i.e. your doctor could recommend multiple formats and formulations for specific treatment purposes or times of day). A 30 day supply can be dispensed for each Dosing Recommendation.
- The pharmacist must make sure the patient possesses no more than 30 days at a time of each recommendation. Unlike other controlled substance prescriptions, the patient can purchase less than 30 days at a time.
- The “End Date” is the expiration date of the dosing recommendation. After the end date has passed, an updated certification must be obtained before any further refills. Follow up with your doctor prior to appointment if your dosing recommendation is expired.
MAKING CHANGES
- If a patient has switched from one certifying prescriber to another and obtained a new certification, the patient is obliged to obtain a new medical marijuana ID card from Department of Health.