CA few weeks ago I issued a Director’s Decision that will authorize the use of marijuana (under the AZ Medical Marijuana Act) for patients undergoing treatment for PTSD.  Medical marijuana certifications will be valid only for palliative care (not treatment).  I delayed the implementation date until January 1 to allow time for certifying physicians, dispensary medical directors, and dispensary agents to develop policies, procedures, and educational materials before the decision takes effect.

One good training option for physicians (and other clinicians) was recently uploaded to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality‘s website.  It’s entitled “Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments for Adults with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)”.  The CME/CE activities are accredited for a multi-disciplinary audience of health care practitioners and provides 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit as well as Certified Contact Hours for Case Managers, Certified Health Education Specialists, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, and Pharmacists.

The monograph examines various evidence-based treatments for adults with PTSD.  It covers the benefits, harms, and comparative effectiveness of various treatment strategies for adults including the comparative effectiveness of psychological treatments.

We’re reaching out to certifying physicians and other interested healthcare personnel to let them know about this resource so that they’re better informed about the latest data regarding evidence-based treatment of PTSD.