Health Care Provider Preferences for, and Barriers to, Cannabis Use in Cancer Care

Abstract

Background Limited research has been conducted about the perspectives of oncology health care providers (hcps) concerning the use of cannabis in cancer care and their potential role in advising patients. We sought to determine the barriers encountered by hcps with respect to medical cannabis and their preferred practices in this area.
 Methods An anonymous survey about cannabis was distributed to oncology hcps at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The 45-question survey measured the opinions of hcps about cannabis use and authorization in oncology.
 Results Of 103 oncology hcps who participated in the study, 75% were women. By hcp type, the most commonly reported professional groups were oncology nurse (40%), radiation therapist (9%), and pharmacist 6%); and 75% reported providing direct care to cancer patients. More than half (69%) had spoken to a patient about cannabis in the preceding month, and 84% believed that they lacked sufficient knowledge about cannabis to make recommendations. Barriers such as monitoring the patient’s use of cannabis (54%), prescribing an accurate dose (61%) or strain (53%), and having insufficient research (50%) were most commonly reported. More than half of hcps (53%) would be interested in receiving more information or training about the use of cannabis in oncology.
 Conclusions The survey indicated that this group of oncology hcps believed that they lacked sufficient knowledge about cannabis to make recommendations to patients. In addition to that lack of knowledge, a number of notable barriers were reported, and more than half the hcps indicated interest in learning more about cannabis in the future.

Understanding cancer survivors’ reasons to medicate with cannabis: A qualitative study based on the theory of planned behavior

“…Many Colleges prohibit or strongly discourage dispensing, providing, or accepting delivery of cannabis for medical purposes, which likely impacts physicians' willingness to recommend cannabis for their patients. In addition, a recent study reported that oncology healthcare providers felt that they lacked the knowledge to recommend cannabis to their patients because they desired the ability to monitor their patients' cannabis use and to prescribe accurate doses 11 ; as a result, physicians did not feel ready, and did not want to, answer patients' questions about medical cannabis. 20,21 To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that applied the TPB to understand the impact of national legalization of cannabis on cancer survivors' decision to medicate or not medicate with cannabis using qualitative methodology.…”

“…The CMA believes that physicians should not be gatekeepers because cannabis has not undergone the established regulatory review processes that are required for all prescription medicines. Oncology health‐care providers reported that they lacked sufficient cannabis knowledge to make recommendations to their patients 11 . The lack of readily accessible information in standard medical textbooks regarding dosing requirements and potential side‐effects of cannabis use may make it challenging for physicians when advising their patients.…”

“…Oncology health-care providers reported that they lacked sufficient cannabis knowledge to make recommendations to their patients. 11 The lack of readily accessible information in standard medical textbooks regarding dosing requirements and potential side-effects of cannabis use may make it challenging for physicians when advising their patients.…”

Polish Physicians’ Perspectives on Medical Cannabis Policy and Educational Needs: Results of An Online Survey

“…Surveys regarding medical cannabis were conducted worldwide among certified medical doctors, pharmacists, and medical faculty students [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. Most of these studies reveal problems with the lack of local clinical standards or knowledge about the legal status of medical cannabis [ 12 , 13 ].…”

“…Studies also show that views vary by medical specialty, gender, age, and religiosity [ 12 , 13 ]. Oncologists and palliative care specialists usually advocate strongly for the use of medical cannabis, family medicine, and neurology specialists are more conservative [ 12 , 13 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. There are also slight differences in the acceptance of incorporating cannabinoids in clinical practice between doctors and medical students living in different geographical locations [ 12 ].…”