WeedMD executive George Scorsis, Others Comment: Telehealth Visits Increase Tenfold During COVID-19 Pandemic

Deval Shah
Deval Shah

As most of the world is aware, COVID-19 continues to impact our communities and way of life. The situation is evolving every day, and for the foreseeable future, professionals in every industry are being forced to adapt to the circumstances.

In the healthcare sector, doctors, nurse practitioners and many other medical professionals are embracing technology as a means to visit their patients — virtually.

During the current climate, telemedicine has played a significant role in keeping up with patient’s routine needs, in addition to screening for COVID-19 safely.  Healthcare providers are noticing an uptick in virtual visits.  Before the pandemic, a survey found 25% of consumer respondents had used telehealth. Today, 59% percent say they are more likely to use telehealth services now than previously, and 33% would even leave their current physician for a provider who offered telehealth access.

Specializing in the digital healthcare space, Lisa Mazur, comments, “Telehealth was already experiencing significant momentum and growth prior to this public health emergency, and its continued trajectory has been solidified by the vital role it is playing in care delivery today.”

As virtual visits during the coronavirus pandemic have been financially supported by many insurers, states are also endorsing them for an emerging therapy: medical marijuana.

George Scorsis, the executive chairman of WeedMD, a Canadian-based licensed producer of cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets says, “Medical marijuana patients, who are prescribed the drug to cure ailments caused by a wide range of conditions, still need safe access to their cannabis prescriptions.  In the wake of the health pandemic, telehealth visits are fulfilling their needs.”

These virtual visits often consist of doctors educating their patients on new products and changing their orders to fulfill the patients’ changing needs.

“The patients are so grateful. It’s the same exact visit except they don’t have to wait in a waiting room,” says Dr. Michelle Weiner, a Hollywood-based pain management doctor and marijuana specialist.

Elijah Joyce, a medicinal cannabis patient from Fort Myers, Florida who used to have an hour-long commute to his doctor, says the virtual appointments have made things much easier as he practices social-distancing measures.

“Many of the offices are in cramped spaces, and the telehealth option allows a needed buffer for the patients,” says Joyce. “It also takes away a bit of the financial burden for the cost to travel to these appointments.”

Since Florida confirmed its first COVID-19 cases in March, more customers are getting their medical marijuana delivered straight to their homes.

“In light of everything that’s been happening, we’ve seen at least a two-to-three fold increase in delivery,” says Vinit Patel, manager of a Florida dispensary.

In fact, approximately 334,000 Floridians currently have medical marijuana cards. Allan Love is one of them. “I get it for back pain and it does work. I can live without it, but I don’t want to,” explains Love.

Love is just one medical marijuana patient who is grateful for telehealth and delivery services.  When he went to his doctor initially:  “I saw people coming in and out, none of them wearing masks or gloves. No PPEs whatsoever. No social distancing that I could see,” Love said.

Peyton Mosely, Vice President of Vidacann, which operates dispensaries throughout Florida says his company is taking extra measures to keep his customers and employees safe.

“We’ve dedicated several parking spots in front of our stores where our employees will come out to your car,” Moseley explains.

Though in the United States, most medicinal marijuana telehealth visits and contactless delivery are only temporary until the health crisis is over, the shift to telemedicine and other measures is providing care to hundreds of patients, and leading to calls for making the model permanent.  While marijuana has been around for quite some time, it’s only in recent years that it’s begun to be accepted by many in the medical field as an analgesic agent, helping people reduce their pain and manage a number of other symptoms.

In Canada, George Scorsis says WeedMD is on top of it.  “Our network of clinics have  temporarily moved to telemedicine appointments only and we will continue to put in place new measures based on all recent developments to protect the health and safety of our patients, our employees and the communities we serve.”

WeedMD is a Canadian-based federally-licensed producer of cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The company owns and operates a 158-acre state-of-the-art greenhouse, outdoor and processing facility located in Strathroy, Ontario.

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