We’re excited to report that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has implemented some helpful updates to the patient registry system. The following improvements have been added to the MMJ Online System:
- Newly issued Program ID cards will now be valid for 1 year instead of 3 years. The expiration date on the card will now reflect the patient’s registration expiration date. (Note from Patriot Care: Since your registration expires annually anyway, this change just means that a new card will be issued when you complete your renewal).
- Caregiver approval made simpler by removing the PIN requirement during the patient’s registration renewal process. The patient will validate that they would like to keep the existing caregiver when they are renewing their registration.
- Caregiver purchase transparency. Patient will be notified when their caregiver makes a purchase in their name.
- Easier picture uploads for Program ID Card through RMV picture retrieval. The system will automatically retrieve an available RMV photo based upon information provided by the patient.
- New display for purchase history. The remaining quantity allowed to purchase and and the first available date for the purchase based on certified quantity will be displayed.
- Notification when physician certification is expiring. Patients will now receive additional notification when their physician certification is expiring soon.
These changes will help patients navigate the registration process more easily, while providing useful notifications regarding purchasing and expiration dates. We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Public Health to incorporate feedback from patients and providers in order to ensure the best possible service for participants in the program. As always, our staff is available to help you at any stage of the process and we’ll continue working with all stakeholders to ensure that the Medical Use of Marijuana Program is meeting the needs of patients.