What Do I Need To Ask My Doctor?

[mibrains]

so i can defiantly appreciate all the things a new patient and even a renewing patient face when preparing to go see the doctor for a certification.

 

and with the doctor patient relationships coming under possible scrutiny...

 

we have started a list and i wanted to have a good place to discuss doctor and patient expectations as they are presented from members of the community directly....

 

thank you every one for helping....

[mibrains]

1) is my doctor here? in the room to meet with me and discuss my condition? are they licensed and in good standing in the state of Michigan?

 

2) do i have good records and am i able to substantiate my condition? (summary - thank u dr bob)

 

3)

[mibrains]

how about...

 

am i being examined - met with in a "brick and mortar" building?

am i in a permanent office location?

are there professional office personnel helping me?

or are they rude uncaring individuals just trying to get my money.....

how and why did i find myself in this facility?

[Dr. Bob]

3/ is this doctor someone familiar enough with the subject to answer my questions

 

4/ how can I follow up with this doctor (not the clinic, the doctor)

 

5/ does the clinic make me feel comfortable, is it like other doctor visits I've had or does something not seem right.

 

Remember, how the doctor presents him/herself as an expert in medical cannabis and the laws regulating it to you is a reflection of how that same doctor will answer questions to defend you in court. Make sure you are comfortable with them.

 

Avoid places that tell you 'it isn't law yet, we don't need that, etc'

 

The most important question you need to ask yourself is

 

does this clinic seem to cover all the bases to protect me and jump through any hoop the prosecutors throw at me, or are they doing the minimum they can get away with????

[Dr. Bob]

how about...

 

am i being examined - met with in a "brick and mortar" building?

am i in a permanent office location?

are there professional office personnel helping me?

or are they rude uncaring individuals just trying to get my money.....

how and why did i find myself in this facility?

 

note about 'brick and mortar'. Many medical services are done in conference rooms, while a standard medical setting is preferred by the board, what is done in the course of the certification is what is required.

 

Example, look at the UP, there is only one medical office and two chiropractic offices that do most of the work. There are locations like Houghton where we rent a room in the hospital, but I work out of hotels in other UP locations. I attend these clinics regularly and they supported by a regular brick and mortar office in Marquette. So restricting only to a regular medical office is a bit too much so long as proper procedures are followed and you can not only identify but directly contact the doctor, and the clinic has a regular schedule in the area.

[Dr. Bob]

http://www.drbobmmj.com/162-article-folder/216-the-bobafide-dr-pt-relationship.html

 

A nice summary of the bonafide relationship

[mibrains]

note about 'brick and mortar'. Many medical services are done in conference rooms, while a standard medical setting is preferred by the board, what is done in the course of the certification is what is required.

 

Example, look at the UP, there is only one medical office and two chiropractic offices that do most of the work. There are locations like Houghton where we rent a room in the hospital, but I work out of hotels in other UP locations. I attend these clinics regularly and they supported by a regular brick and mortar office in Marquette. So restricting only to a regular medical office is a bit too much so long as proper procedures are followed and you can not only identify but directly contact the doctor, and the clinic has a regular schedule in the area.

 

excellent feedback doc..

see i had not thought about such remote situations...

but obviously those folks can justifiably answer that question with...i am here because it is all that is available in the UP eh...

sorry..

i am not trying to cast dispersions on the up..

i personally LOVE the seclusion..

your point and observations are well taken and we shall each have to consider this in our list as it applies.

what doctor certification clinics are available in my area and why did i choose this one? is perhaps a better way to state this question.

[Dr. Bob]

Tell you what might be most effective. Since I am the one who actually knows how a medical clinic operates and what is needed under the new bills, I am going to turn the listing of the qualifications over to patients and I'll give feedback as needed. That way no one can say I am trying to dictate policy or unduly influence what an average person should look for. That article I posted on the main thread is good to help decide what is NOT a bonafide relationship. The about the camps (signature based, evaluation/relationship based) will help clarify the personal position of each patient to themselves, and might give some ideas for the list.

[mibrains]

so i am in such a great mood tonight..

 

i feel some definite relief from my homegrown self cultivated medicine.... (that's about to be a whole new thread strains-with picture and descriptions of effect)

but....

Phaq.. how have you been? i love that your back and trying to kill plants again... you absolutely bring smiles to my face man...

Jim... i was kind of hoping you would chime in and tell us what u think a person should have and take with them to the doctors office and what can they expect from the experience..

 

and IMI.. i believe u said in a thread that u started carrying your medical records with you and maintaining them for your own protections... i might want to explore that some more if your comfortable discussing the logistical reasons behind your decisions...

 

it is about all of us and what we each feel is appropriate.

 

i am interested in not just the doctors and lawyers but also in the everyday phaq's as well

 

but the decision actually is very important.. and it seems like a great time to explore what each of us is used to when it comes to their doctor relationships... it also seems to me it may come up as a question with some of the pending legislation for a lot of people and if we have a general consensus already developed it will help patients and hopefully answer their questions...

 

thank you again everyone for the input...

[mibrains]

Tell you what might be most effective. Since I am the one who actually knows how a medical clinic operates and what is needed under the new bills, I am going to turn the listing of the qualifications over to patients and I'll give feedback as needed. That way no one can say I am trying to dictate policy or unduly influence what an average person should look for. That article I posted on the main thread is good to help decide what is NOT a bonafide relationship. The about the camps (signature based, evaluation/relationship based) will help clarify the personal position of each patient to themselves, and might give some ideas for the list.

 

thank you so much doc..that's an excellent approach and i for one appreciate your contributions to the community...

i know so many people that think they "know" what is right...

but if we listen..

we all may "hear" whats most important...

and that is that we all have place in this movement because we share this medicine as a common denominator and each of us have a place and a story that we can relate to..

 

we each have a voice and a say in this legislation whether they what you to believe that or not.

 

we are all Americans and each of us has a right to be heard and respected for our opinion rather anyone agrees with it or not.

 

God Bless America

God bless this plant

Gob bless you all

[HEMP4LIFE]

if it is a new doctor to you, one main question you should ask is have you reviewed my medical records.

second you should ask if he writes recommendations for mm

third you should ask him about follow up appointiments

fourth you should ask him if he thinks that mm will help your condition

fifth you should ask him if he has other mm patients

sixth you should ask him if you could develop a bonified- relationship with him in regards to your overall health

seventh you should ask if they know of sucess storys of mm

last question i would ask is if you are on pain meds would he let you continue taking them at reduced rates with supplmenting with mmj

 

if he anwsers NO then find another one

 

after that he should relaize you are not their to just get a card to smoke POT you are developing a medical plan for a natural health supplement

thats just my thinking

[medicinesfas]

You should think that the doctor is your friend or treat him or her as you dad, it depends on the doctor's age.

[mibrains]

ok so i fell out of contact for a bit..

as is the nature of my personal business...

 

but i would really like to continue this thread and maybe help people understand what to expect when visiting a MMJ certification doctor for the first time...

 

i appreciate everyone's input thus far and encourage everyone who reads this thread to contribute their ideas to help guide new people, be them patients or caregivers seeking information through the potentially confusing process of seeing a doctor for a mmj certification.

 

1) is my doctor here? in the room to meet with me and discuss my condition? are they licensed and in good standing in the state of Michigan?

 

2) do i have good records and am i able to substantiate my condition? (summary - thank u dr bob)

 

3) (excellent hemp how about we add...) can i continue my current medical regiment. will they support my decision to use medical grade cannabis as a symptom suppressive therapy or will they ridicule my position and cut me off of my regular medicine?

 

4) (thank u medicinesfas) do i feel comfortable with this person and am i willing to discuss my personal business and reveal my... truest fears? greatest concerns? can i feel safe enough with this doctor to discuss my condition now? and if i need them over the course of the next 12 months? is this person my friend? would i respect this person as my friend? which is to say am i comfortable enough with this person that i trust a decision about my life, health and well-being?

[t-pain]

i'm not sure my ideas are what you are looking for, but maybe they are useful:

 

is the doctor willing to keep a record of which strains , types (medibles, smoke, vape, simpson oil), or frequency of use help with my conditions? bonus points if he keeps track (anonymously) between his/her patients so that strains that work for one condition are shared knowledge so patients dont have to try every strain until they find a good one.

 

will the doctor compare any of my previous prescriptions effects and side effects to my use of mmj? will he note that i am able to decrease the use, frequency, or dosage of any current prescriptions, by supplementing it with mmj?

 

will the doctor keep track if mmj has changed my habits? be it sleeping, moods, grades/work performance, sex drive/performance, socializing, etc.

 

will the doctor check up on my vitals (weight, blood pressure, etc)?

 

will the doctor perform tests on me while i'm under the influence of medical marijuana? reflexes, lung capacity, intraocular pressure, etc

 

will the doctor notify patients of any new medication which may help their conditions? is the doctor actively trying to pursue new medications for his patients, including the sativex currently in trials?

 

is the doctor following changes to the mmma law, so he can help to get out new information if something changes? (LARA should be doing this with the case laws on thier website)

Edited September 13, 2012 by teethpain

[mibrains]

that's excellent teeth pain..

what i am looking for with this thread is the information that will help a new person feel comfortable with the process of obtaining a certification...

 

so thank you for providing anything that helps explain the process and it is absolutely welcome here...

 

i seem to sense an overall emphasis on doctor responsibility and follow up care...in your response

 

and reporting the use, frequency and effect of the cannabis as it relates to specific symptoms...

 

and will my doctor share that information with a state level agency that can utilize the knowledge efficiently?

 

it is an interesting point....

and one i would love to explore...

 

should i expect my doctor to maintain strain knowledge and effectiveness?

or my network?

my caregiver?

who should track, maintain and report this "absolutely crucial" list of information so we can all benefit from the combined community knowledge base?

is there a standard type reporting questionnaire we could all "fill out" and report our use preferences as it relates to effectiveness and mood?

i think this is an important issue and one that deserves a bit of exploration.