What patients know or think they know about the benefits of medical Cannabis varies widely. Patients with a history of heavy Medicinal Cannabis usage may have extensive knowledge about the drug. Sometimes they may know more than you do.
As a result, a medical professional should make sure to remain in charge of the patient’s treatment. Patients who have never tried medicinal Cannabis before will have different worries than those who have, but it’s important for everyone to understand that medical Cannabis isn’t a miracle drug.
It’s possible that Medicinal Cannabis will help some people while having no effect on others, just like any other treatment. When working with a patient to develop realistic goals, it’s important to first understand what the patient envisions as a world without the limitations of their disease.
If you’re a doctor or nurse, knowing this will help you better manage your patients’ expectations and implement a successful treatment strategy. With any luck, you’ll be able to alleviate symptoms and keep the disease under control, just like you would with any other conventional prescription.
However, for some individuals, resuming normal activity or increasing their quality of life may be the first priority.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Keep in mind that although Medicinal Cannabis can be helpful in relieving symptoms on its own for some individuals, it is often used in combination with other methods of care. Depending on the individual, Medicinal Cannabis treatment can either alleviate the patient’s existing poly-pharmacy or allow them to discontinue the use of some or all of their other prescriptions.
The process of choosing a medicinal Medicinal Cannabis product might be fraught with difficulty. Two variables that instantly impact product selection are the perceived difficulty of authorisation to prescribe (access channels) and the drug driving laws.
While such things are important to think about, what ultimately determines how you treat a patient should be the patient’s needs and the quality of care provided.
Focus first and foremost on the ailment or symptoms you hope to alleviate. All users of Medicinal Cannabis respond differently to its effects. Other considerations include:
- the condition’s chronicity;
- the duration and frequency of flare-ups;
- the variable that exacerbates the symptoms;
- the patient’s prior experiences with the product;
- the patient’s product knowledge;
- the patient’s lifestyle and surroundings.
With this information in hand, you’ll be more equipped to make an informed purchase. There are certain general rules of thumb you may use to decide what kind of product to recommend to a patient, but nothing concrete.
Methods for delivering cannabinoids to treat medical conditions
Over three hundred products are offered to patients, and they might be difficult to tell between. It should be noted that many consumers are already well-versed on the products’ ingredients. You obviously can’t be expected to be aware of everything out there.
However, if your patient expresses interest in a novel treatment option, you will need the ability and time to investigate this possibility. Suppliers are a fantastic source of information on items. Catalyst, on the other hand, compiles all relevant product data in one place, allowing for instantaneous research and comparison.
These aids will allow you to take charge of your patients’ care and reassure them that you value their input.
Calculating the Optimal Dose and Titrating
The “start low and go gently” principle applies universally when taking medical Medicinal Cannabis. The effectiveness of the Best Medicinal Cannabis varies greatly from patient to patient, making it a novel therapeutic option.
Cannabinoid effects and symptom shifts are important considerations for patients to keep in mind. When things start to shift, even slightly, that’s cause for optimism. As the patient titrates up, these alterations or enhancements should grow.
Keep in mind that cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) both have their own unique effects, and that certain patients may feel the effects of THC much more immediately than they would from CBD. The optimal therapeutic window is the point at which a patient has the most therapeutic benefit with the fewest adverse effects.
As you learn more about the patient throughout the consultation, you can make an informed decision about the recommended medicine and its titration schedule. Flower titration, for instance, is significantly unlike than oil titration. It’s possible that some people may feel more at ease with a faster titration, while others would prefer a slower pace.
A patient’s therapeutic window can be established via your efforts to locate a middle ground and the provision of relevant information and resources.
After your consultation, you and the patient should feel like you have similar goals and expectations. Yet, the patient’s attitude towards the medicinal Cannabis plant and readiness to begin therapy is of much greater significance.
Methods that have been proven effective for keeping tabs on patients
In order to maximise the therapeutic effects of medical Medicinal Cannabis, patients should adhere to their prescribed treatment regimens and adopt behavioural modifications to increase the activity of their endogenous cannabinoid systems.
Cannabinoid therapy failure is typically due to one or more of the following: incorrect product selection, inappropriate dose and titration, and lack of patient compliance with the treatment plan.
Since the root cause of the patient’s symptoms is unknown, a thorough diagnostic evaluation must precede any attempts at therapy. It’s possible that a more conclusive or suitable remedy exists.
In order to ensure the best possible outcomes for your patients, it is essential to do thorough follow-up and monitoring. The initial appointment is the starting point for a smooth process of follow-up and compliance. Following these guidelines can help you better communicate with and elicit cooperation from your patients.
Justify your methods
Patients who are new to Medicinal Cannabis should be wary of receiving too many refills. Give a rationale for the amount of repetitions you’ll be using and how often you anticipate follow-ups to occur.
Have a talk about what they can expect if anything bad happens. Get the patient’s permission and explain the reason for any further blood-level monitoring that may be necessary. Make sure you’ve had a conversation with the patient regarding down-titration and a timetable if they’re trying to cut back on the use of other drugs or illegal Medicinal Cannabis. Again, it’s important for the patient to be prepared.
Make sure the dose and titration are explained thoroughly.
Always make sure your patient understands the connection between milli-grammes (mg) and millilitres (mL) before prescribing a medication. Make sure the patient is willing to titrate up gently and carefully because of the patient’s emotional response to the possibility of symptom improvement.
Keeping a symptom diary is a necessary practise for patients.
When trying to find the best dose, it’s crucial that patients keep a journal of their symptoms before and after treatment, as well as any side effects they experience (even if they are minor).
Keep your sights set on your objectives.
It’s possible that the patient won’t feel any better at all, or at least not right away. CBD’s effects may not become fully apparent for up to four weeks, whereas those of THC are felt almost instantly. Some of a patient’s symptoms may improve while others may not. Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees; instead, concentrate on each individual tree.
Everybody reacts differently when a patient complains that Medicinal Cannabis isn’t helping. If the patient says “it isn’t working,” you must figure out what they mean. It’s important to rule out drug interactions and other causes while dealing with adverse effects.
There may have been a shift in the patient’s ideal dosage or other elements of their therapy. The Medicinal Cannabis experience is so individual that it’s crucial to put a patient’s words into perspective.
Plan out the timing of any follow-ups.
A higher frequency of reviews occurs early in therapy in order to optimise product selection and dosage, as well as to track any unwanted side effects or troublesome use. As needed, they can occur anywhere from twice to four times a month.
Review intervals may lengthen when dose and products have been stabilised and the patient is comfortable with their treatment plan. It’s possible that you’ll need to relocate every few months.
Appointments are scheduled on a regular basis to check in on the patient and see how they are doing, discuss any concerns they may have, and make any necessary adjustments to their treatment plan.
It’s important to keep in mind that a patient may require more regular monitoring if their health state changes as a result of the progression of their ailment.
Summary
Although there appears to be a great deal to learn before prescribing medical Medicinal Cannabis, the procedure becomes simple after a few trial runs with patients. Many people have reported dramatic improvements in their quality of life after using Medicinal Cannabis.
As a result, medical Medicinal Cannabis may be an important asset whether you want to become a frequent prescriber or utilise it as a last option with your patients.
Finally
We know you might be curios to find out more information and discuss medicinal cannabis uses, or where to get legal medicinal cannabis products in Australia, or who is authorised to prescribe medicinal cannabis products to you, and we know lots of people are also worried about the use of medicinal cannabis.
For all these, schedule a consultation session today with our experts at Chronic Therapy to get professional advice about any medicinal cannabis product or medicinal use of the product to maximise your benefits from it.
