The Rx Greenhouse Ranked #1 For Medical Marijuana Pharmacy License For The Metropolitan New Orleans Area Of Louisiana
METAIRIE, La., Feb. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The Rx Greenhouse LLC, a Metairie, LA based company was ranked first this week by The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy Application Review Committee among many pharmacies, all pursuing a highly sought-after license to dispense medical cannabis for medical use in Region-1, covering the metropolitan area of New Orleans. The Marijuana Pharmacy Permit Application Review Committee provides a recommendation to the full Board in the form of a ranked list which determines the pharmacies they find to be most qualified to receive the permit by region.
"We were excited at the opportunity to apply for a Marijuana Pharmacy License in the largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana, grateful to the Board for the high bar with which they've set for our state, and extremely honored to be their top recommendation," the Rx Greenhouse co-owner and chief executive, Dr. Sajal Roy, PharmD, CGP, CPSO, CSP, CACP said.
The Rx Greenhouse will, after a formal board vote, be one of the first pharmacies to dispense medical marijuana in the state. The state's Board of Pharmacy is expected to officially announce the selections of each of the nine state-designated health care regions at the end of the month. The combination of years of previous experience in the metropolitan area, in specialty pharmacy operations, and in the medical marijuana industry allows The Rx Greenhouse to maintain a strong position to receive the Region-1 license.
The region Rx Greenhouse applied for will serve an estimated population of over 1 million people (for the Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard Parishes).
Dr. Roy will be in charge of all operations and will recruit and train qualified staff with medical experience and knowledge regarding medical cannabis. With an extensive background in hospital, long term care, retail, and specialty pharmacy operations, Dr. Roy serves as President and CEO of Factor One Source FAST Pharmacy (FOSRX/FAST), a Maryland and Louisiana based Specialty Pharmacy, and has been successfully overseeing operations of Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary, based in Cumberland, Maryland, as a co-owner and chief executive.
"Medical cannabis has many uses and the population will stand to benefit from this therapeutic option. We are proud to say that Physicians will soon have a new tool in their tool bag to give their qualified patients another option," Roy said.
The Louisiana state legislature originally passed a law in 2015 with the intent to legalize medical marijuana, however due to the language used calling for physicians to "prescribe" marijuana, the bill failed. The following year however, Senate Bill 271 amended the wording so that doctors won't issue a prescription, but instead a "physician recommendation form," since federal law prohibits prescribing marijuana. Now doctors won't have to jeopardize their medical license, but are limited in who the marijuana is recommended for. The law will eventually get medicinal-grade marijuana to people with a list of conditions created by an independent board of Medical Examiners and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, including cancer, positive status for HIV, AIDS, cachexia or wasting syndrome, seizure disorders, epilepsy, Crohn's disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. Medical marijuana will be available in medicinal oils, pills, topical applications, etc., but will not be sold in a form that can be smoked.
Many consider medical cannabis to provide public health benefits by providing a safe alternative to prescription painkillers such as opioids, which due to their addictiveness, have had a strong hold in many communities nationwide creating what some call an opioid epidemic. Opioids killed an estimated 33,000 people in the U.S. in 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but many experts believe that number could be underestimating the problem. Statewide, opioid-related deaths in Louisiana have been estimated for as many as 561 deaths in 2016. Research shows that access to medical cannabis dispensaries is associated with a significant reduction in substance abuse admissions and opiate overdose fatalities.
"We have already organized a team of professionals from board certified pharmacists and talented individuals with business skillsets who will be able to work with each patient individually and maximize their results and therapeutic benefits," according to Roy.
Patients who are eligible for the drug under the law passed more than two years ago still remain months away from getting their hands on therapeutic marijuana. The Rx Greenhouse aims to open in August 2018.
To view this video on YouTube, please visit: https://youtu.be/LduBXz_XUyk
Media Contact: Joslyn Kelly, Factor One Source Pharmacy, 844-773-6779, [email protected]
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SOURCE The Rx Greenhouse LLC
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