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Back Cover Story: ReleafMD and Wellness Center,

Empowering Patients with Cannabis Knowledge

Continued from back page.
“I also offer to meet them for their first starting foundation for their medical
amazing alternative for many patients; it ensure that what she is telling her visit to a dispensary to help reinforce cannabis journey.”
is not only safe (non-lethal), but highly patients coincides with what they hear what we have gone over and help them Dr. King expresses hope that her clinic
effective for many chronic conditions when they go in. feel comfortable with their first purchas- will make a huge impact in the cannabis
that we see in the community. We are in “It also gives them a chance to put a es,” she says. industry here in Florida, and set the
the middle of an opioid epidemic, largely face with a name, so hopefully when my As a full service clinic, Dr. King says example of what a medical cannabis clin-
begun by prescription pain pills, medical patients are seen there, the personnel that they also help patients register in the ic should be.
cannabis should be a no-brainer for there knows that this patient has had state registry, which can be a daunting “There is still so much to be done at
physicians, who treat chronic pain or some education about cannabis,” she task. the level of the legislature as well,” she
other chronic conditions.” adds. “My daughter Helena, is my office says. “That is a huge component. I think
Dr. King actually began working with Dr. King notes that she opened her manager, and she has really been helpful clinics like mine, that are educating and
a medical cannabis clinic chain in own cannabis clinic so she can do it the in getting patients registered with the taking time with patients, and not just
Florida in 2017, but soon left to start way it should be done. state, which can sometimes involve running them in and out like some sort
ReLeafMD. She wanted a clinic that “There are other physicians in this phone calls that last for 30 or more min- of mill, will endure and be around for a
focused on educating patients with one- field that also do this, but they are far utes to assist patients getting registered,” long time. Even if adult use becomes a
on-one consultations as well as compre- and few between,” she says. “I believe she says. “Imagine a patient who is 75 reality in Florida, patients will still need
hensive treatment plans that include educating ourselves to better help our years old and who may have never the guidance and education from a
ongoing educational support through patients is the first thing physicians need owned a computer try to do this at trained practitioner. Those who have
seminars and workshops, that she now to do.” home. You’re setting them up for failure. established themselves as educators and
holds monthly for new patients and their Helping to educate other physicians is These are patients who have come in experts in this field will endure. And that
families. critical not only for her clinic, but for the because they have severe pain, anxiety or is how we hope to make an impact.”
“When you have a state such as cannabis industry as a whole. Many depression, and then you ask them to try
Florida that only recently legalized med- physicians do not know where to start to register themselves with the state! It’s For more information,
ical cannabis, there is a huge knowledge with this, even if they want to incorpo- frustrating even for people without these visit shopreleafmd.com.
gap among not only patients and physi- rate this into practice. The two-hour conditions. We want to give them a good
cians, but legislators, law enforcement course that the state offers is woefully
and mainstream medical facilities,” she inadequate to give physicians everything
says. “This creates misinformation, poor they need to do this properly.
patient experience, and sub-optimal out- ReleafMD is set up similar to a bou-
comes. There is already stigma surround- tique concierge practice. This means Dr.
ing cannabis for obvious reasons, and King will visit her patients at home,
lack of knowledge makes it even worse.” assisted living facilities, hospices or hos- 7 D[ 7 ,
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She adds that her clinic is different pitals. & ) 2 $ F F R X Q L W Q J $ X W L G
because she takes the time to ensure “I would like to see more patients in
patients know what they are doing when these facilities, but policies there have
they go to the dispensaries. been difficult to change. Patients on hos- 3 H U H U D S \ R R I U R H U X W X I U X
“We start with basic terminology and pice or in assisted living facilities are on
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delivery methods, so that patients get an an average of 15 to 20 medications,” she Q L K W H F D Q Q E L Q L V G X \ U W V
idea of what to expect when they go to a says. “Medical cannabis could really go a
dispensary, because that first visit can be long way in addressing this polypharma- K W L Z 0 V V V N . R X U V F L
overwhelming,” she says. cy.” $ V V R / &

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In addition, Dr. King visits each dis- When Dr. King sits down with patients
pensary to make sure the personnel she also likes to include the entire family
know what they are talking about, and to in the discussion.
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South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com March 2019 49