The question of whether Psoriasis Cream would be offered over the counter or by prescription only brought up the fact that their are really two types of prescriptions that are very different. We all routinely deal with normal prescriptions, they're the ones our Doctor's write which are generally covered by our insurance, and can be filled in drug stores everywhere. They're for drugs which the FDA has approved.
The other form of prescriptions that are of much greater interest to us here are for cannabis based products, also written by Doctors, but they're for products only available in Green Cross stores, and to the best of my knowledge aren't covered by insurance.
Looking at the GWPH website, they do have products which are approved for medical use in many countries, but not in the U.S. I'm uncertain if their products are available here in Green Cross stores, perhaps someone can let me know. What I do understand is that they have at least one product that's actually in Phase III Trials with the FDA, if this is approved, it should be covered by insurance and sold in drug stores.
As I understand OWCP's drugs to date, the only trial involving the FDA is for safety as a Phase I Trial of the Psoriasis Cream. I understand that other efficacy trials have been, or are running in Israel, but they aren't listed in the FDA Clinical Trials database, so I don't believe they're recognized by the FDA.
This said, it's my belief that OWCP's Psoriasis Cream, and perhaps some of it's other products, will be available by prescription, but only in Green Cross stores, and they will not be eligible for coverage by insurance companies. This is very important to us because if we say psoriasis is a $10 billion dollar market, and our product could satisfy half the patients being treated, it doesn't mean we'd get $5 billion. In reality we might save the insurance companies the better part of $5 billion, but you can bet that our product will sell for a small fraction of the price of the prescription drugs it replaces that are covered by insurance.
Don't get me wrong, if the example above were correct, it would still be selling hundreds of millions worth of product, but I doubt that a months supply would cost over $50, and possibly substantially less. On the other hand, if it were FDA approved, depending on your insurance you might have a co-pay of just a few dollars and the list price might be something in four figures. What does the insurance company actually pay, I suspect it's more than $50, but well under the list price, but we really don't know.
GWPH, if I understand their website correctly, do sell two of their drugs in several countries, and I believe that means that in at least some of those countries, the drugs are covered by insurance. While this may mean they get higher prices, they're a small fraction of the price the same drug would bring in the U.S.
I certainly hope that OWCP is successful in their approach of proving a drug safe with the FDA here, but marketing it at a Green Cross store by prescription as a medically based cannabis product. On the other hand, if the FDA and the Federal Govt. says no, like GWPH they may gain approval for sales in much of the world, but like GWPH they may have to do very expensive efficacy trials to gain approval, but once gained they'll be sold in normal pharmacies, and be covered by insurance.
The good news is that as of now, practically anything that can be made using marijuana can be purchased with a prescription in a Green Cross store as I understand it, I've not personally used them. I believe that while you need a prescription, if your regular Dr. won't write it, they have specialists they can put you in contact with who will. I would hope that our cream is so effective that in time regular Doctor's will prescribe it whether it has FDA Approval or not, but in the beginning, once available I suspect that it will be primarily word of mouth that leads patients to try it. Without FDA approval for efficacy, I don't believe any advertising based on it being effective can be made, so like virtually all the other products sold in Green Cross stores, it's effectiveness will be anecdotal in nature from those who try it.
Perhaps the day will come when cannabis products will be available in normal stores routinely, but if it occurs, most products will probably be subjected to at least limited efficacy testing, especially if they're a product which insurance covers.
Gary
