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P787: Medical Cannabis Program

P787: Percent of complete medical cannabis client applications approved or denied within 30 calendar days of receipt

Current Value

99.0%

FY 2018

Definition

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Story Behind the Curve

  • New Mexico is one of 30 states with a Medical Cannabis Program (MCP).
  • The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act became law in 2007. It allows New Mexicans with debilitating conditions to use medical cannabis. Timely review and approval of applications is important to ensure patients have safe access to medicine.
  • Patient enrollment has increased substantially. About 44,000 patients were enrolled in the Medical Cannabis Program at the start of fiscal year 2018. By the close of FY18-Q4, there were approximately 54,850 patients enrolled. Each week, the Program approves about 1,300 applications then prints and mails patient registry cards to each patient. During FY18-Q4, the Program processed 19,297 applications with 99.0% of completed applications processed within 30 calendar days of receipt. The average processing time for completed applications in FY18-Q4 was 14 days.

Partners

  • Patients and their families; caregivers
  • Advocates
  • Licensed non-profit producers (LNPP)
  • Medical Cannabis Advisory Board
  • Licensed couriers, manufacturers, and laboratories
  • Legislature
  • Medical and Nursing Boards
  • Medical practitioner associations
  • New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) 
  • State and local law enforcement
  • BioTrack seed to sale software

What Works

  • Assisting patient applicants in their submission of complete applications.
  • Streamlining the approval process for applications.
  • Hiring additional employees as MCP applications increase.
  • Creating application forms that are fillable by computer so they can then be printed and signed.
  • Establishing a process for applications to be submitted electronically (by computer).
  • Educating the community, including medical providers and members of the public, about the Program and on how to submit complete applications.

Strategy

  • Streamline the application approval process:
    • Each information and records clerk will handle an application from beginning to end, including printing the patient registry identification card on the same day it is approved.
    • Identify ways to make renewals a more fluid process.

Action Plan

  • Q1: Implement the review of applications within five business days of receipt for completeness to reduce wait time for incomplete applications. Completed.
  • Q2: Review and revise patient enrollment application to reduce redundancies and make the application more fluid. Completed
  • Q3: Work with IT Project Manager to evaluate implementation of on-line submission of patient applications. Completed 
  • Q4: Work with IT Project Manager to begin Request for Proposals for vendors to accept online patient applications. Completed

FY18 Annual Progress Summary

Patient enrollment increased markedly over the course of FY18. At the end of FY17, there were 44,403 patients enrolled in the program. At the end of FY18 the Medical Cannabis Program (MCP) reported a total of 54,857 patients enrolled in the program. MCP printed 63,445 cards which includes both new and re-enrolling patients. Ninety-nine percent of all cards were printed within 30 days of the receipt of a completed application. The average processing time for patient cards was 11 days.

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