Rhode Island Protects Doctor Confidentiality, Considers Applicants for Compassion Centers
Last week the Rhode Island state legislature approved a critical piece of legislation designed to protect the confidentiality of physicians who recommend medical marijuana to patients. The bill was introduced after the names of 335 physicians had been leaked to the Providence Journal by a department of health staffer, and several doctors whose identities were disclosed testified that they were no longer comfortable recommending medical marijuana to patients, even when it might be the best course of treatment.
Passage of the bill – which is set to become law – marks the fourth time that Rhode Island has passed positive medical marijuana legislation. In fact, tomorrow, the state will take another critical step in expanding its medical marijuana law further when it holds a public hearing for applicants to open the state’s first nonprofit compassion centers, which will provide qualified patients with safe access to their medicine. Rhode Island has approved opening up to three such centers, and the first licenses are expected to be issued in about a month.
Tagged with: compassion centers and physician confidentiality and Rhode Island by the author
6 comments
Mike Meno,
#1. Isn’t the State Liable for unauthorized publishing of these names? Obviously the leak originated at the State Department of Health. Oh let me guess, no one cares enough to conduct a respectable investigation and we’re left to think this whole thing is being orchestrated by the State Officials who are obviously benefiting from this sort of crack down on Pot Sympathizers from Physicians to Supporters.
i find the use of the term “leaked” to be highly suspicious unless i get a source that confirms there was any law broken.
Yeah dude like legalize it it be the way to go i wanna just smoke all day and night but the popo come for me
colin i bet you could’ve squeezed a few more stereotypes into your tripe. i’m disappointed.
with the state creating a law to protect doctors who prescribe marijuana’s I am going to assume that no law was broken when some idiot leaked these names to the Providence Journal. This is why I think it is awesome and a huge step in policy creation that protects and helps our cause
Not sure of the law on this subject but it doesn’t seem right for any staffer to disclose the names of physicians due to patient/doctor privilege. It is almost comparable to publishing the names of the patients themselves. Until federal law catches up to state law the names of patients and caregivers need to be held privately so that persecution of these idividuals is limited or eliminated.
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