Only patients with refractory epilepsy will benefit from it
In Argentina, obtaining an authorization is cumbersome and costly. The downside to obtaining cannabis legally is generating a parallel market where you can find a product that claims to be of cannabis oil but which is in fact olive oil without cannabinoids and which constitutes a danger to public health. In the coming days, pharmacies in Buenos Aires will begin distributing real cannabis oil to patients with epilepsy or who are resistant to available treatments.
On June 28, the compliance of a sectoral chamber of cannabis in Argentina has been formalized with the aim of responding to the proposals and challenges of the medical and industrial sector.
By means of a power transferred by the patient or his representative, the pharmacists will initiate the process of importing the oil by means of a special permit issued by theANMAT (National Drug Administration, Food and Medical Technology) when therapeutic options will not be effective.
The President of the College of Pharmacists of Buenos Aires, María Isabel Reinoso, confirmed this morning to Guillermo Lobo that “Pharmacies will be responsible for ensuring that the process is legally registered. TheANMAT authorizes pharmacists to take care of customs formalities, to deliver to their pharmacy and then distribute to the patient ”.
The pilot trial was carried out in the city of Bahía Blanca, the patient placed his order through a licensed pharmacy, thus performing the same procedure when importing oncology drugs into the country.
According to Reinoso, there is no cost to the family. The procedure for patients to access cannabis oil for personal use is always complicated. We help the pharmacist so that he can do it. There is no approved registry, the pharmacy did not charge for this service. The regulatory framework remains the same. There has been no change in the law or the resolutions in force. This agreement with pharmacies aims to streamline procedures with patients.
One of the critical points identified by the pilot experience is the number of forms to be completed. One solution would be to keep records such as for ontological drugs. The objective is that those who wish to have access to imported cannabis-based products are not obliged to follow the process in front of the Antat, but rather that it is the pharmacies that manage the demand in front of the agency. This service would benefit patients who would only have to go to their neighborhood pharmacy.
If it is a drug, the pharmacy must provide it. rest assured that the product you are going to use contains what the label says, which is not the case with a parallel market. The most important thing is that the process is safe and guarantees the legitimacy and conservation in the hands of professionals, ”says Reinoso, which brings together professionals from 4479 pharmacies in the territory of Buenos Aires in order to reproduce this procedure in the future and do not anywhere in the country.
In March 2017, the 27350 law has regulated medical and scientific research on the medicinal use of the plant and its derivatives and thus allows the production for patients with refractory epilepsy. Several studies have proven that plant derivatives, in particular oil, can be used and beneficial in other pathologies.
Refractory epilepsy
The World Health Organization describes this disease as a chronic brain disease that affects the whole world. It is characterized by recurrent crises and affects 1% of the world population. It is a disorder caused by an increase in the electrical activity of neurons that repeatedly affects uncontrolled movements.
