You might have seen medical cannabis in the headlines recently - there have been calls for tighter regulations for private clinics, research casting doubt on the efficacy of cannabis as a mental health treatment, and those working in the industry backing the rise of the drug.
But what do community pharmacists think of the UK’s medical cannabis boom?
We asked readers in our C+D Counter View 25 survey, and the responses ranged from enthusiastic support to firm opposition.
Pharmacists “well placed”
One respondent told us that supplying medical cannabis through community pharmacy “could be beneficial for patients, pharmacies and the UK government” by allowing for “regulation, oversight and consistent quality standards”.
“Patient safety would be improved through safer production and better-quality products being brought to the market,” they said, and pharmacists “are well placed to monitor use and interactions and provide counselling”.
Read more: ‘Flagrant disregard’: Cannabis pharmacy SI struck off
The respondent was also optimistic that “regulated pharmacy sales” of medical cannabis “could generate tax revenue and reduce supply through unregulated markets”.
They noted that patients are currently “scared” to tell healthcare professionals that they are using cannabis-based medicines, making drug interactions “a real concern”.
Supplying the drug through community pharmacies “could open the door to these conversations”, they said, and ensure “better oversight and patient safety”.
Read more: Cannabis not effective in treating mental disorders, review finds
And they aren’t the only one with concerns about patient safety – but also optimism about pharmacy’s potential to reduce the risk of harm.
“More patients are turning to private cannabis clinics for help with certain conditions, however cost is a large barrier, so many have to purchase it illegally,” said one respondent. “Legalising in a safe manner would help this situation as well as reducing crime.”
And yet another pharmacist keen to embrace medical cannabis told us that the drug “isn’t as great a risk as once thought” and could be an “excellent tax source to help fund the gap in healthcare and medicine”.
“Huge challenges”
Others are taking a more cautious approach. Two pharmacists that responded to our survey agreed that cannabis should be supplied by pharmacies if there is medical need, but emphasised that it should be regulated as a Schedule 2 controlled drug.
But while responses to our survey were broadly supportive of private cannabis prescribing, some were more than a little sceptical.
Read more: Coroner warns private cannabis clinic after patient death
One respondent argued that in the US, the legislation introduced to keep up with the cannabis boom led to the industry “prioritising recreational sales” - and that this has “crippled” the country’s medical cannabis supply “as a result”.
“We saw this with the surge in GLP-1 popularity, and we would see it in community,” they warned.
Another told us medical cannabis “presents huge challenges”, and that “inevitably there will be those who seek cannabis prescriptions regardless of whether there is a medical need or not”.
Read more: ‘Deplorable’: Online pharmacist suspended over 70k prescriptions
“On the other hand,” they said, “we routinely prescribe and dispense opioid-based products which have similar and arguably more severe concerns”.
“I therefore feel we need to assess what benefits cannabis-based medicines can provide and whether those benefits outweigh the risks that will inevitably be created.”
Got thoughts on medical cannabis? Share them in the comments below.
