The Ministry of Health and Wellness has denied an allegation by the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) that it has been excluded from consultations about the introduction of medical marijuana in Barbados.
Responding to the allegation reported in the local press and attributed to President of BAMP, Dr. Abdon DaSilva, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George, explained that BAMP is represented on the Drug Formulary Committee which, after reviewing the evidence, had recommended the five medicinal marijuana drugs to be placed on the Barbados National Drug Formulary.
The Drug Formulary Committee, under the Chairmanship of University of the West Indies (UWI) Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology, Dr. Kenneth Connell, is responsible for recommending new pharmaceutical products for the Barbadian market.
Additionally, he disclosed BAMP was invited and sent members to a recent training seminar, sponsored by the ministry, in conjunction with the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at The UWI, Cave Hill Campus.
The seminar, which had as its theme Therapeutic Prescribing of Medical Marijuana Products, brought together doctors, pharmacists and other health care providers who will be involved in prescribing and dispensing the medicinal cannabis products.
The ministry official assured the doctors’ representative body that the ministry welcomed further discussion on this initiative and was willing to hear any concerns which BAMP may have.