InfoQuest, (July 04, 2019) -- The Ministry of Public Health has established medical cannabis service system in general health facilities and commissioned relevant departments to integrate tasks within and beyond the ministry, aiming to ensure the effective use of medicinal cannabis, according to Prof. Piyasakol Sakolsatayathorn, minister of the Ministry of Public Health. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) will produce the first cohort of 10,000 bottles of cannabis oil during the period from July to August 2019. Of these cannabis oil, Chao Phraya Aphaiphubet Hospital applied for 5,000 bottles for the cure of indication. And Phra Chan Fan Hospital claimed cannabis oil to produce five traditional Thai medicines.
At present, 400 trained physicians, pharmacists and dentists and 2,900 trained traditional Thai physicians are allowed to prescribe medicinal cannabis. And the Ministry of Public Health has put the training course online to facilitate medical cannabis prescribers. In addition, the ministry has also formulated guidelines on cannabis for medical use, treatment guidelines for patients who have problems with cannabis use, and application methods for medical cannabis sales licenses in medical institutions. For the first phase of medical cannabis service promotion from July to September 2019, the goal is to enable at least one central/general hospital in each province to provide such service. And the second phase, by April 2020, will aim to promote medicinal cannabis service to the community hospitals and township hospitals.
"Currently, the use of medical cannabis is at the initial stage, and the production is relatively limited which is mainly used on patients defined by related programs. During the next phase, efforts will be made to gradually increase production as an alternative treatment for patients who cannot be cured with conventional treatment regimens. Such use of medicinal cannabis should be under the supervision of trained physicians, pharmacists and dentists and traditional Thai physicians to ensure that the patients will not be subject to harmful side effects when cured," said Prof. Piyasakon.
Dr. Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health warned that the use of medical cannabis must be done carefully to prevent violations of regulations. So far, according to relevant regulations, medicinal cannabis can only be used to treat diseases in the field of modern medicine (SAS: Special Access Scheme), including: 1. Diseases where ample evidence suggests that cannabis can help in treatment, such as nausea and emesis caused by chemotherapy, chronic epilepsy or drug resistance, as well as muscle atrophy in multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pains which are subject to treatment resistance. 2. Symptoms where academic studies suggest that cannabis can be used to control them, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, palliative care for advanced cancer patients, and pain relief for cancer patients. 3. Diseases where the extract of cannabis may be conducive for treatment but at present it still needs to wait for more sufficient proof. Thus, in this case, cannabis can only be applied to patients who have been frustrated by conventional treatment. In the field of Thai traditional medicine, 16 traditional Thai drug formulations that can be used for disease treatment or research allow the use of medical cannabis.
Source: InfoQuest, by Nisarat Wichiensri / Rachada, translated by Xinhua Silk Road
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