Med Card: Patients visiting one of several KindlyMD clinics in Utah have access to a variety of conventional and alternative treatments. Under the alternative category are plant-based medicines made available through Utah’s Medical Card program. At the heart of the program is the concept of alternatives.
Utah is not the only state with a Medical Card program. In fact, more than three-dozen states have such programs. So let’s not beat around the bush. State Medical Card programs are medical cannabis programs. A Medical Card gives a state resident the legal right to purchase, possess, and consume medical cannabis.
With that out of the way, let us talk about the concept of giving patients alternatives. That is really what Medical Card programs are all about. And by the way, some states are already working on adding psychedelics to their programs.
Conventional Medicine Doesn’t Always Work
Like so many other states, the path to Utah’s Medical Card program was chronic pain. Proponents pleaded with lawmakers to give chronic pain patients access to alternative plant-based medicines. Their reasoning was simple: conventional medicine doesn’t always work. No arguments there.
For as long as I can remember, American medicine has treated chronic pain with OTC pain relievers, invasive surgeries, and opioid painkillers. There is no shortage of patients who have tried all three and have found little to no relief. That’s just the reality.
Among them are low back pain patients. Low back pain is one of the most common complaints heard in doctor’s offices. It’s also the leading cause of disability worldwide. And how do we treat it? With back surgery and opioids. Back surgery is not foolproof, and patients do not tend to appreciate having to take opioid medications long term. So what’s left?
Alternatives That Work
KindlyMD officials say that a large share of their Medical Card patients are chronic pain patients. They also say that these same patients just want alternatives that work. They don’t come into it thinking that plant-based medicine is the only solution to their problem. Most are open to a variety of therapies.
The plant-based medicines made available through state Medical Card programs have proved effective for millions of people. That’s why they keep renewing their Medical Cards year after year. But utilizing plant-based medicines doesn’t preclude other treatments.
KindlyMD clinicians are not afraid to recommend that patients combine plant-based medicines with mental health services. They are not afraid to recommend lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and more conventional therapies – like physical therapy. The big difference is that they don’t pull out the prescription pad, immediately write a prescription for opioids, and send the patient out the door.
Anecdotal Evidence Matters
One of the common complaints against state Medical Card programs is that the plant-based medicines they grant access to have not been clinically proven. That much cannot be disputed. But there is a ton of anecdotal evidence both doctors and patients can point to. Here’s the thing: anecdotal evidence matters.
Take chronic pain. Did you know there is no lab test for determining a person’s pain level? Doctors can only rate pain on a numerical scale, based on patient reports. What makes an anecdotal patient report in a clinical setting any less reliable than a similar report in a test setting? Nothing.
State Medical Card programs exist in order to give patients alternatives. Whether you would use alternative therapies or not, would you deprive others from having access to them? That is the big question as more states entertain the idea of launching Medical Card programs. More than three-dozen have already concluded that patients deserve access to alternative treatments.
