Trevor Bungay says more regulations are needed on medicinal pot for vets

The vice-president of a company that helps veterans file reimbursement claims for medicinal marijuana agrees with Auditor General Michael Ferguson's assessment that the program needs to be better managed.

Ferguson flagged several issues with the way the benefits are being processed. His report noted the cost of the program has ballooned dramatically, while the guidelines for prescriptions don't appear to be evidence-based.

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Veterans Affairs approved 10 grams per day as the amount of medical marijuana it would cover for vets — twice the amount per day Health Canada has said is considered safe. 

Trevor Bungay, vice-president of Trauma Healing Centers said he has been expecting a call for better regulation of the program. 

"This has kind of been a free-for-all for the last year and we knew it wasn't going to last," he said.

Bungay said while some special cases may call for more, the prescriptions coming through the Trauma Healing Centers stick to between two and five grams per day, more in line with Health Canada's recommendations.

But he says he is aware of cases where some people seek and obtain prescriptions for double that amount. 

"If Health Canada is saying between two and four grams a day then where is the reasoning behind the 10 to 15 [grams per day]? If a doctor can legitimately stand there and say that this guy needs 10 to 15, and I'm sure some do, but most don't," he said.

"We knew this was coming and it's definitely where it's heading." 

Spiraling costs

Ferguson also said the department hasn't put in place any measures to control the cost of medicinal marijuana reimbursements as it applies to the prescription drug program.

"The cost of the program has increased significantly from $400,000 in 2013-14," he said, "to $12 million in just the first nine months of 2015-16."

"We just can't do that, it's never going to work," said Bungay, who agrees the cost of the program needs to be limited.

"We can't let it go to where it is right now and keep letting it rise the way it's rising."

Veterans Affairs Canada said it agreed with Ferguson's assessment and it will begin creating a framework to outline evidence and cost-effectiveness when making future decisions. Minister Kent Hehr said his department has already launched an internal review.

"We can fix this problem, it's not a huge problem. It's really not," said Bungay.

Bungay said the Maritime-based company has been reaching out to the department in recent years and plans to continue to lobby for a place in discussions about changes to the program.