Clinic specialists Yolanda Blanco and Albert Tuca.
the main challenge to which specialists are exposed with the introduction of medicinal cannabis is to know the actual evidence of the benefits it can generate for the patient, even unknown. “Any drug that can improve not only the painbut others symptomand that can contribute to a better life quality of patients is always important. The evidence we have today in clinical trials not robust enough to know the cannabis reachwhat dosage is adequate and what results can it have combining it with other drugs. We do not know the real benefit of the cannabinoid pathway, and although it improves the symptoms of patients, much knowledge is still lacking”, explains Tuca in Medical Writing.
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Tuca: “The evidence is not robust enough to know the scope of cannabis” |
Blanco speaks in a very similar line to Tuca in relation to the benefits that cannabis can generate, specifically to treat multiple sclerosis. “In order to apply these products, the patient has to overcome some spasticity scales. Surprisingly, we have seen that when we ask them, they state that rest more because they have fewer spasms and pain at night. This change causes them to feel more energetic during the day. I think that, if the patient is in pain and what regarding cannabis we expand the range to treat it, you are welcome”.
Within the Neuroimmunology Unit, a product of commercialized cannabisknown as Sativexand White sees as a chance the regulation of medical cannabis to expand its use: “With this new law, we will be able to expand the indications of the product or generate them at the Clinic. If we now have the possibility of offering these medicinal products to mitigate pain or spasticity in other pathologies, we would welcome it, and even more so in a framework such as the chronic painwhich affects the quality of life of patients”.
Cannabis and pain: Dosage and toxicity
One of the main uses to be given in the administration of products linked to cannabis is the pain relief that the patient suffers on a daily basis: “We will have to learn a lot to be able to establish protocols study and locate the effects of cannabis on pain. Its effect in relation to opioids is not superior, but we do not know if it can avoid the dose increase of these or its scope in the form of an adjuvant drug. We must normalize and understand cannabis as a drug for therapeutic use and learn more regarding all these aspects”, states the oncologist.
The question that Tuca throws into the air now that medical cannabis is available is how it can be used: “It is vital to know its positive and negative effects and for this you must do regular checks and see if there is improvement in symptoms. Although it improves the intensity of pain in most cases, it does not in extreme cases. Cannabis improves sleepthe sadnessthe feeling depressed and reduces the anxietybut like any drug, it has side effects that limit their use. We must know the dose margin and establish a balance, since it might be ineffective or generate toxicity”.
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Blanco: “It is evident that cannabis will not solve the problem of specificity and pain, but its application can help” |
The skepticism What may or may not generate the use of medicinal cannabis is summed up, according to specialists, in verifying its effectiveness through clinical trials. “In my specialty we have experience with its use and we have seen the impact it generates. We do not have false expectations if we know that its use can give of itself, if there is evidence behind it and if it is used as a complement to help the patient. It is evident that cannabis will not solve the problem of specificity and pain, but its application can help”, specifies the Neuroimmunology consultant.
In Tuca’s opinion, “the problem is not having a new drug linked to cannabis, but know how to use it. The current evidence is not very robust and because of this we must work intensively. My impression is that cannabis is safe and may bring benefits to patients, but its magnitude is unknown at this time.”
Firm commitment to community pharmacies
The distribution of standardized cannabis preparations is another aspect that the medical cannabis subcommittee of the Congress of Deputies study, giving preference to hospital pharmacies and exploring the alternative of community pharmacies. The vision of the specialists is to bet so that any pharmacy can dispense it without problem. “Community pharmacies should also be able to distribute these products, as long as it is controlled. We have to know the proportion of all cannabinoid products and their side effects. If the doses that apply to each product are known, I think that both hospital and community pharmacies should distribute it.”
Blanco is committed to carrying out driving courses of these products and how advise to the patient beyond what the specialists affirm so that the pharmacies indicate how to apply it: “Community pharmacies cannot be included if the pharmacist cannot answer the patient’s questions. One problem to avoid is dispensing the product and not giving directions. If this part is covered, community pharmacies should be included.”
Although it may contain statements, data or notes from health institutions or professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We recommend the reader that any questions related to health be consulted with a health professional.
