Certifying Physicians and Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)

Effective July 1, 2016, Act 230 Section 7 allows Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to certify patients for the Registry Program and all references in part IX, §329 to the certifying “physician” has been amended to include APRNs.

Effective Immediately, appropriately licensed APRNs are able to use the SAME process as physicians to certify patients for the Medical Cannabis Registry Program.  Please review all training materials below.  A certifying APRN must be a Hawaii-licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with prescriptive authority and who is registered with the Department of Public Safety to prescribe controlled substances.

Information for Certifying Physicians/APRNs

The DOH Medical Cannabis Registry Program is a registration program.

  1. A physician/APRN must certify in writing that in the physician’s professional opinion the qualifying patient has a debilitating medical condition and the potential benefits of the medical use of cannabis would likely outweigh the health risks for the qualifying patient.
  2. Qualifying patients (and their primary caregivers if they have one) shall register with the Department of Health, and the Department of Health shall issue to the qualifying patient a registration certificate (the 329 Card).
  3. The Department of Health must provide access to registry information to law enforcement for official law enforcement purposes.

 

DOH recommends that all potentially qualifying patients begin the discussion of whether or not medical cannabis  is the right treatment option for their condition with the physician/APRN that is currently treating them for that condition.

  • All certifying physicians must have a valid Hawaii Medical License number and a valid Hawaii Controlled Substance License number.
  • All certifying APRNs must have a valid RN license number and a valid Hawaii Controlled Substance License number.

BE ADVISED: PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR THE MEDICAL USE OF CANNABIS UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THEY RECEIVE THEIR 329 REGISTRATION CARD FROM DOH AND THEY MUST KEEP BOTH THEIR VALID ID AND VALID 329 CARD ON THEM WHENEVER THEY ARE IN POSSESSION OF MEDICAL CANNABIS.