Avicanna has launched a new program designed to integrate medical cannabis treatment and patient support directly into hospitals, specialty clinics and other established healthcare settings across Canada.
The Toronto-based biopharmaceutical company announced the MyMedi.ca Integrated Healthcare Program on September 9, saying it will provide healthcare organizations with structured pathways for incorporating medical cannabis into existing models of care.
The program will offer access to a focused medical cannabis formulary, pharmacist-led patient support, treatment planning and education for healthcare providers, along with assistance involving insurance coverage and reimbursement.
Avicanna said the program is intended for hospitals, specialty clinics, multidisciplinary healthcare networks, insurers and other healthcare organizations.
“An important next step in the evolution of medical cannabis is furthering integration and access within established healthcare environments,” said Avicanna CEO Aras Azadian.
The initiative builds on Avicanna’s previous work with Canadian healthcare institutions, including a program with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Odette Cancer Centre.
That collaboration, first announced in 2021, made Avicanna’s RHO Phyto medical cannabis products available through the Odette Cancer Centre pharmacy to patients with appropriate medical authorization. The program also included cannabis education for patients and healthcare professionals and support related to dosing and monitoring.
Avicanna said experience from the Sunnybrook program helped shape the patient pathways, educational framework and support model being used for the newly announced nationwide initiative.
The company pointed to Health Canada data showing that a relatively small percentage of Canadians who use cannabis medically do so with formal authorization from a healthcare professional.
According to Health Canada’s 2024 Canadian Cannabis Survey, 10% of Canadians age 16 and older reported using cannabis for medical purposes during the previous year. Among those users, just 18% said they had a medical document from a healthcare professional, down from 27% in 2019.
Avicanna said its new program is designed to provide patients with more structured healthcare provider involvement, including individualized treatment support, product and dosing guidance and ongoing clinical follow-up.
The program may also be used for hospital-based cannabinoid programs, partnerships with specialty clinics, insurer-supported programs, healthcare professional education and real-world evidence research.
MyMedi.ca is Avicanna’s medical cannabis care platform and includes pharmacist-led patient support, products from multiple manufacturers and services for specialized patient populations, including veterans.
