A day in the life of a medical cannabis Clinical Director

As a patient, trying to navigate not only a new type of treatment, but also a new type of health service can come with a lot of questions. 

But, at Releaf, we believe transparency is key, and we want to do everything we can to help the wider public understand medical cannabis, how it’s prescribed, and how reputable, responsible clinics operate. Which is why we’ve put together this time stamped blog, ‘A day in the life of a medical cannabis Clinical Director’, to help break the fourth wall, and showcase the intricacies, intelligence, and innovation that keeps Releaf running smoothly. 

Here we’ll take a deep dive into a day in the life of Dr David Tang, Releaf’s Clinical Director. 

From the early morning chaos of family life, to balancing patient care and team management, Dr David Tang’s days are both challenging, and rewarding. 

Read on more to discover his daily tasks and responsibilities, the patient interactions he has on a daily basis, and the perfect personal moments that help to balance out his busy working day. 

Rise and shine: 5.30 am 

“I wake up at around 5.30, (usually due to my rascal of a two-year-old who refuses to sleep through the night!) and I’ll spend the first part of my day with my children, while my wife gets ready for her busy day at work. 

If I’m lucky, I’ll treat myself to a 45-minute work-out in the gym, and if not, I’ll go for a brisk morning walk. Then I’ll have breakfast and start mentally preparing myself for the day ahead, dipping into our communications app and emails to see if there is anything I need to pick up from the day before.”

Start of the work day: 8am

“My work day starts at 8am, and the first thing I do is log in to our various platforms. 

Because Releaf is a fully remote service, there are various means of communication and documentation we need to keep on top of. We fuse traditional face to face means of communication with technology and do a morning online meeting within the clinical team, to identify what lays ahead for the day in a collaborative, yet convenient, manner.   

As Clinic Director my job is to ensure that my colleagues are all happy and ensure they are seeing patients they feel comfortable seeing (for example, a psychiatrist shouldn't be seeing patients with back pain, arthritis, or epilepsy).

I then touch base with the various teams and departments within Releaf to say hi, and find out if my input is required anywhere else (such as in this blog, for example!), and then I review any outstanding tasks generated after close of business the previous day, and check my calendar for the day’s meetings.”

Start of my clinical hours: 9.30am

“My clinic hours usually start by 9.30am, and I hold 30-minute appointments with patients until around 11.30. 

As a generalist I’m qualified to treat the vast majority of patients who present themselves to Releaf, but there are some conditions that I prefer to refer to my colleagues who are specialists in these conditions, such as epilepsy. 

Because I am one of Releaf’s more experienced practitioners, colleagues will contact me for advice throughout clinic hours, meaning I juggle my own clinical responsibilities with making sure my colleague’s queries are answered in a timely manner so they can progress with their day.

During the day, Releaf’s Patient Support Team are also busy dealing with patient questions and queries, and they are regularly in touch to ask for advice or with requests for documentation uploads from the clinical team and so forth.”

Time for lunch: 12pm 

“In between my ‘patient-facing’ time I’m busy printing and signing prescriptions for the patients that I’ve just seen, and if there were any troubleshooting issues I’ll tackle these over lunch. 

I usually only take around 15 minutes for lunch, and I often eat and drink in front of my computer. (I know, I know, it’s not healthy - but it’s something I’m working on!)

I’ll also use this time to catch up on writing any repeat prescriptions that need issuing, or resolving any issues that may have come up. For example, if we’re notified a particular medicine has become out of stock, I’ll rewrite any prescriptions that are affected, to have appropriate, and available replacements. 

If I’m lucky, I'll get a cuddle with my boy when he wakes from his lunchtime nap, but unfortunately today, I just didn’t have the time.”

Clinic continues: 1pm 

“My afternoon clinic is a repeat of the morning clinic in that no two appointments are the same, and my afternoon is filled with a multitude of case presentations from all different kinds of patients.

This could be patients who have fibromyalgia, Ehler's Danlos Syndrome, ADHD, back pain, or even migraines. The similarity is, all of these patients generally have been through the NHS mill, and haven't come out the other side with any significant improvement in the quality of their lives. 

With all the patients I see, I put a lot of emphasis on ensuring they get a quality night's sleep: whether that's through better sleep hygiene or adding a medical cannabis product to their nighttime prescription. Ensuring a good night's sleep is so important to any patient's daytime management of their symptoms, whatever they are. 

As well as taking appointments myself, I’m available to support the triage team to ensure the right information is sought from patients prior to their initial consultation, and I'll be interfacing with the clinic and pharmacy managers to ensure that medications are correct and being delivered with as few delays as possible.” 

Tidying up for the day: 3pm 

“My clinic hours usually end at 3 o’clock. 

After I’ve stopped seeing patients directly and holding consultations, I’ll start preparing for the end of day team meeting where we discuss every new prescription and whether or not it meets the criteria for approval. The vast majority do, but on the relatively rare occasion they don't we have to ensure we communicate with the patient to ensure they understand the reasons why. 

Given my experience in medical cannabis, I also like to ensure that every day is an educational day for my colleagues, so I’ll have a think about what I’ll share with them in this regard.

I’m sure they’re probably bored of the sound of my voice by now, but sharing terpene knowledge, and more on how wondrous the endocannabinoid system is, and how specific cultivars and oils work best for particular patients, helps us all develop and continually improve.”

Daily MDT meeting: 4pm 

“At 4pm, it's MDT time!

All the clinicians who have seen patients during the day will gather online at 4 o’clock for our multidisciplinary meeting, and discuss the patients we’ve seen throughout the day. Sometimes these meetings are really straightforward, and on others, they are less so. 

We have to ensure that each prescription is appropriate and safe, and I try to ensure everyone gets heard, that there is an educational element to the meeting, and that it's conducted in a timely manner. 

During this meeting we generate any prescriptions that need printing, signing and sending to the pharmacy, and we’ll create post-meeting tasks for the patient support team staff to carry out, for instance booking in fresh follow-up appointments, or issuing refunds. 

I end this meeting and thank my team at the end for all of their hard work, and make final checks to ensure all the patients we’ve seen that day are accounted for, and that each prescription will be printed out and taken to the post office before close of business.”

Time to unwind: 5pm 

“For me, work finishes at 5 o’clock. 

I try very hard to ensure a hard stop to my day at 5pm to make sure I can support my family and spend quality time with them in the evening before the inevitable carnage at bath time and bedtime!

At around seven, I’ll have dinner which is occasionally accompanied by a beer or glass of wine, while some trashy TV plays in the background. After this, the wife and I will curl up together on the sofa and debrief each other on the days we’ve had.”

Conclusion

And that’s a wrap on a typical day in the life for Dr David Tang, Releaf’s Clinical Director!

While his days are often busy and hectic, the reward of seeing patients making progress keeps Dr Tang motivated to continue to make a difference, every single day. 

New challenges and learning opportunities are presented on a daily basis, and Dr Tang and his dedicated team take a proactive, and passionate approach to patient excellence.

Stay tuned to the Releaf blog for more behind-the-scenes insights into the lives of healthcare professionals who are making a difference in the world of medical cannabis.