"Omni Patient Advocates Has Answers to Medical Marijuana Questions" news article
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Despite the stigma surrounding medical marijuana, Omni Patient Advocates continues to fight the opioid epidemic, one patient at a time. From certification appointments to state ID cards, Omni Patient Advocates offers professional, compassionate help throughout the entire medical marijuana certification process.
The importance of relief from chronic pain is a huge issue to Omni Patient Advocates; not only does their staff consist of a team of medical marijuana advocates, physicians and healthcare professionals; they also employ several of their own patients.
“Time and time again, science has proven medical marijuana to have numerous curative benefits… With the rise of opioid abuse, it’s imperative for physicians and patients to have multiple pain treatment options,” says Michael Rohrbaugh, Omni Patient Advocates co-founder (over 20 years on opiates) and medical marijuana patient advocate. “I think it’s great that the state is finally moving toward more and easier access for all those that qualify.”
In order for patients to qualify for the medical marijuana program, they’re required to first create a profile in the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s patient registry. Next, patients must provide a physician’s certification that shows they suffer from one of the 21 serious medical conditions. According to Act 16, a qualifying serious medical condition is any of the following: ALS, autism, cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, Huntington’s disease, Inflammatory Bowel disease, intractable seizures, Multiple Sclerosis, neuropathies, Opioid Use Disorder, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, Sickle Cell Anemia, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord, and/or severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin.
Once registration is complete and patients pay for a medical marijuana ID card, they can then purchase medical marijuana at any approved dispensary in Pennsylvania.
“The treatment of pain has become a politicized commerce in the United States, resulting in the rapid increase of opioid dependency and overdoses. Cannabis has been used for hundreds of years to treat pain, physical ailments and other mental health conditions,” explains Ilene Reynolds, director of operations for Omni Medical Services of Pennsylvania. “Patients have been saying for years that medical marijuana produces better outcomes than opioids. It’s about time the state listened to those wanting a better solution to relief.”
From thousands of physician and patient testimonials to countless scientific studies, research continues to uphold the mental and physical health benefits associated with medical marijuana. As of August 2016, there were 350 individuals registered with the DEA to conduct research on marijuana and its components.
Recently, the DEA published their 2017 Drugs of Abuse guide, which reported no marijuana related overdoses. On the other hand, opioid-involved overdoses and deaths continue to rise in the United States.
According to the CDC, more than six out of ten drug overdose deaths involve opioids.
Omni Patient Advocates has been a leader in providing specialized, professional medical services to patients needing relief from chronic pain. Educated with the latest research and treatment modalities in medical marijuana, Omni PA’s network of physicians currently treats over 1,000 patients in Pennsylvania.
By focusing on patient education, safety and responsible use, Omni strives to be the premiere standard of care for medical cannabis patients. For more information about Omni Patient Advocates contact Mike Rohrbaugh, at mike@omnipatientadvocates.com or (954) 548-1949.
