Dr Olha Kompaniiets - the internal medicine doctor behind medical cannabis therapy in Krakow

Nobody walks into the office at Gęsia 22A in Krakow as a first step. Most patients arrive after years of pain, a list of medications that stopped working, two or three other clinics and one sentence they have heard too many times: "you will have to learn to live with it".

They are seen by Dr Olha Kompaniiets - a physician of internal medicine with 25 years of clinical experience, a certified medical acupuncturist and the doctor leading medical cannabis therapy at CannabisMedic. Patients have rated her 5.0 across more than 160 reviews. This article explains who she is, how she works and what to expect from an appointment.

Olha Kompaniiets is a specialist in internal medicine. Her Polish medical licence number 3706147 can be verified in the Central Register of Physicians. We publish it because in cannabis medicine the question "who exactly is writing this prescription" is entirely fair.

Internal medicine is the speciality of the whole patient: heart, lungs, metabolism, thyroid, digestive tract and the way medications interfere with one another. In cannabis therapy this matters in practice, because a patient with chronic pain rarely takes only one drug and rarely has only one diagnosis.

On top of that comes acupuncture and Chinese medicine - certified, not a hobby. Outside CannabisMedic she also provides manual therapy and physiotherapy at the Balance Med practice at the same address. That is why pain can be approached from two directions at once: pharmacological and manual.

She explains it in one sentence that says a lot about how she sees her work:

Chronic pain and professional burnout are the pandemic of the modern world. Nature and professional knowledge have prepared help for every situation.

In that view medical cannabis is neither a miracle cure nor a last resort. It is one tool, used when existing treatment has stopped working or costs the patient too many side effects. Everything else - dose, form, pace - is a matter of ongoing care rather than a single prescription.

This is why an appointment does not end with a prescription. It ends with a plan for the coming weeks and a clear signal about when to get in touch if things go differently than expected.

1. Medical history. What hurts, since when, what has already been tried and with what result. Which medications you take regularly - this is not paperwork, because some interactions influence the choice of preparation.

2. Documentation. Discharge letters, test results, previous prescriptions. You do not need a complete file, but the more you bring, the less has to be guessed.

3. Qualification. A conversation about whether cannabis therapy makes sense in your case and, if so, in which form. Flower, oil and vaporisation extracts are different routes with different onset times.

4. Prescription and plan. If therapy is indicated, you receive an e-prescription and a starting regimen: low doses first, titrated at your pace rather than from a table.

5. Follow-up. You agree when to meet again and how to recognise that the dose is right. Continuation of treatment is a separate, cheaper appointment.

Booking happens online, but the consultation itself takes place on site - at the office in Krakow, Gęsia 22A (OPEN MEDICAL). We do not run remote consultations.

The most common reasons for an appointment with Dr Olha Kompaniiets are:

Not every one of these reasons ends with a prescription, and it should not. Qualification exists precisely to tell those situations apart.

Two items on that list are unusual, because they combine competences normally found in separate practices: acupuncture and the comprehensive holistic therapy package, where needles, manual techniques, kinesiology taping and a medical consultation fit into a single hour.

Prices are current as of publication. Live availability and rates are shown in the booking calendar.

The reviews below come from public CannabisMedic profiles on Google and Medfile. We do not edit their content.

The doctor is very committed and genuinely interested in the patient. She listened carefully, gave me time to talk and suggested treatment that helped straight away. Zuzanna N.

I highly recommend this place. Dr Olha Kompaniiets is an exceptional specialist who treats patients with enormous respect, empathy and professionalism. Paweł M.

After starting medical cannabis therapy I can finally function normally and sleep at night. The results exceeded my expectations and I stopped my previous painkillers. Jarek

I recommend Dr Olha. A professional approach to the patient and a pleasant atmosphere. It could not be better. Michał M.

One word keeps coming back in these reviews: time. It is the most expensive resource in medicine and the most common reason patients return.

A guarantee. Medical cannabis helps some patients, works poorly for others and causes side effects in a few that make continuing pointless. An honest conversation starts with that sentence rather than avoiding it.

Pressure. If diagnostics, physiotherapy or a change in your current treatment is the better next step, you will hear that instead of receiving a prescription.

A prescription on demand. The visit is a medical consultation, not a formality attached to a purchase. No indication means no prescription - and the same works in reverse: if the indication is there, you do not have to convince anyone.

We wrote more about refusals in can a doctor refuse a medical cannabis prescription.

Dr Olha Kompaniiets consults in three languages: Polish, Ukrainian and English. For Ukrainian patients this means describing symptoms without an interpreter and without shortening a medical history to a few sentences.

Patients living in Poland temporarily or travelling across Europe can also receive a document allowing them to carry their medication inside the European Union (89.99 PLN) - a certificate under Article 75 of the Schengen Convention, useful at borders and during checks.

The English-speaking consultation is a separate item in the price list (250 PLN) and can be booked directly in the calendar.

Does Dr Olha Kompaniiets see patients online?

No. Registration is online, but the consultation is held on site at the office in Krakow, Gęsia 22A. This format allows for examination and an unhurried conversation.

Will I receive a prescription at the first visit?

If therapy is indicated and there are no contraindications, yes - the e-prescription is issued during the appointment. The decision belongs to the doctor and follows the interview and review of your documentation.

What should I bring?

An ID document, your medical records (discharge letters, test results, earlier prescriptions) and a list of medications you take regularly. Details are in what to bring to your first appointment.

Can I transfer my treatment from another doctor?

Yes. There is a dedicated appointment for that - transfer from another cannabis clinic (149.99 PLN). Bring your previous prescriptions so that dosing stays continuous.

Can cannabis therapy be combined with acupuncture?

Yes, for many patients both paths run in parallel. Because the same doctor leads them, there is one plan instead of two separate ones.

Which age groups does she treat?

Cannabis therapy applies to adults. A large share of patients are over 60 - we cover that group separately in medical cannabis for seniors.

Available slots with Dr Olha Kompaniiets are visible in the booking calendar - you choose a time, pay online and the slot is reserved in your name. Confirmation arrives by email and SMS.

Office: Krakow, Gęsia 22A (OPEN MEDICAL). Phone: +48 731 000 645 if you prefer to arrange details with reception.

If this is your first visit to a cannabis clinic, start with what to expect at your first visit - it describes the whole path from registration to the pharmacy.