Apothecare partners with FIKA Cannabis to offer consultations
Sudbury residents interested in using cannabis products for medicinal purposes, such as to help treat insomnia, pain, anxiety and menopause symptoms, had a new and convenient option with the opening of local retail stores beginning in 2019.
Many of those people had questions, however, about which products might work best for their specific conditions or interact with their medications and had concerns with dosage and safety — issues outside a budtender’s area of expertise.
Enter Apothecare, a Toronto-based business that partners with some 50 retailers, including FIKA Cannabis in Sudbury, to offer virtual, one-on-one consultations with licensed pharmacists who can provide clinical guidance for cannabis use.
“We service Canadians who are walking into cannabis retail stores and asking health and wellness questions,” said Anushya Vijayaragheva, co-founder of Apothecare alongside Ajay Chahal. “Budtenders legally can’t give that medical advice, so they refer out to Apothecare and we handle those consultations.”
“The big thing we’re doing is really trying to increase accessibility for Canadians who are looking to use cannabis for a health-and-wellness, medicinal purpose, and they’re not sure where to go,” Chahal added. “They may try to speak to their doctor and their doctor doesn’t know about cannabis, or they don’t have a doctor, which is a concern for so many Ontarians.”
According to the 2023 Canadian Cannabis Survey, only 18 per cent of Canadians using cannabis for medicinal reasons do so with any formal healthcare oversight. That can lead to significant and potentially dangerous interactions, some of which Apothecare’s pharmacists have caught and prevented through their consultations. They can also ensure users are using the correct cannabinoids, in the correct doses, to achieve the desired medicinal effects.
Forty-five per cent of medicinal cannabis users use products for insomnia, 33 per cent for chronic pain, and 31 per cent for anxiety.
The average age of consumers who seek consultations from Apothecare is 61 and many of them are on three or four medications, such as blood thinners and blood-pressure medications.
“They may be less familiar with cannabis, but they’re also more medically complex,” Chahal said. “They understand there may be interactions and they’re asking budtenders questions a budtender has no ability to answer. Those are the ones who find the most value.”
He said some users may find they can reduce their use of certain prescription drugs once they begin taking an effective cannabinoid in the appropriate dosage.
“Let’s say they’re using benzodiazepines, which can be very addictive and also dangerous for elderly populations to manage anxiety,” Chahal said. “We can look at using a non-intoxicating cannabinoid like CBD to help your anxiety and then there can be a discussion about reducing the amount of benzodiazepine you’re using, which then generates better or safer outcomes.”
“Sometimes, we say this is not going to be appropriate for you, we advise against it,” Vijayaragheva added. “But if it is coming to a recommendation, it’s always going to be the safest option. If oils and capsules are not going to be appropriate for that patient, then we’re going to look at a topical product potentially, because we’re getting minimal absorption into the bloodstream.”
Consultations cost $75, which includes an initial consultation looking at medical history, medications and the desired outcome, followed by a personalized recommendation if appropriate. The service is not currently covered by OHIP, though users with health insurance can pay for it through a health spending account.
“We help them find a cannabis retailer that is within our network, FIKA for example, and then send them to that retailer to purchase the product, so they know they’re going to purchase a legal product,” Chahal said.
More information about Apothecare is available at Sudbury’s FIKA location, 2408 Long Lake Rd., by visiting apothecare.ca or by calling 1-866-880-4325.
