Launched this week, New Zealand's medicinal cannabinoid information service is focused on delivering quality prescriber education programmes and resources to support patients across the country.
New Zealand’s largest licenced medicinal cannabis company, Helius Therapeutics, has announced an exclusive partnership with DATAPHARM, focused on delivering leading prescriber education programmes and resources.
New Zealand-owned DATAPHARM is well known for consulting to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries and creating innovative product services. The new information service – MCinfo.com – launched at this week's GP CME in Rotorua.
MCinfo.com is supported by Helius Therapeutics as Education Sponsor.
DATAPHARM will deliver in-person programmes nationwide and an online platform boasting the most definitive medicinal cannabinoid information available in New Zealand.
“We know enhancing prescriber knowledge is key to ensuring greater patient access to medicinal cannabis. Helius is steadfastly committed to education and so we’re thrilled to once again be collaborating with the best in the business,” says Carmen Doran, Chief Executive of Helius Therapeutics.
Medicinal cannabinoids can now be prescribed by every GP in New Zealand, for any condition. Yet, according to a Horizon Research survey, 76% of healthcare professionals have reported a need to be better informed about cannabinoid medicines and how to prescribe relevant products.
The Ministry of Health also acknowledges that many health practitioners do not feel they have access to enough information to discuss medicinal cannabis with their patients, whanau or families, and make to effective clinical decisions.
Ms Doran says DATAPHARM has extensive experience working with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. It knows first-hand what education tools and formats work best for frontline healthcare professionals thirsty for a single source of trusted, up-to-the-minute information.
Further, DATAPHARM has worked closely with the medicinal cannabis sector for the past three years, with Director, Mark Morrison, consulting to Helius since 2020 before being appointed Chief Commercial Officer earlier this year.
“There has been a vacuum of information in the medicinal cannabis space which our exclusive partnership with DATAPHARM now comprehensively fills. It’s an exciting development for the industry and most importantly patients, with Helius pleased to take the lead,” she says.
As well as Helius’ sponsorship enabling highly-trained representatives on the road to better inform healthcare professionals about medicinal cannabis, registrations to the newly-built MCinfo.com will be strongly encouraged.
Dubbed New Zealand’s medicinal cannabinoid information service, MCinfo.com, is available to all patients and the public, with registration free for doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
In fact, several hundred have already registered with the MCinfo.com stand proving popular at the GP CME, New Zealand's national GP and continuing medical education conference, in Rotorua from 10 to 13 June.
Last year Helius announced another exclusive partnership with Palmerston North-based company BioLumic, which leads the world with its unique ultraviolet technology to stimulate the growth of medicinal cannabis and significantly increase yields.
“We’re delighted to be exclusively working with another world-class Kiwi company to advance New Zealand’s medicinal cannabis sector, withpatients and their quality of life at the centre of everything Helius does,” says Carmen Doran.
Poised for market entry, Helius has completed its state-of-the-art, integrated medicines manufacturing facility in Auckland’s East Tamaki, having raised $48m in capital since 2018.
Helius Therapeutics is also the foundation sponsor of MedCan 2021 in October, New Zealand's annual medicinal cannabis summit.