A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal Cannabis
Research describing patients using medicinal cannabis and its effectiveness is lacking. We aimed to describe adults with non-cancer diagnoses who are prescribed medicinal cannabis via a retrospective medical record review and assess its effectiveness and safety. From 157 Australian records, most wer...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/4/1483 |
| _version_ | 1797620237607108608 |
|---|---|
| author | Michael Morris Richard Chye Zhixin Liu Meera Agar Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski |
| author_facet | Michael Morris Richard Chye Zhixin Liu Meera Agar Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski |
| author_sort | Michael Morris |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research describing patients using medicinal cannabis and its effectiveness is lacking. We aimed to describe adults with non-cancer diagnoses who are prescribed medicinal cannabis via a retrospective medical record review and assess its effectiveness and safety. From 157 Australian records, most were female (63.7%; mean age 63.0 years). Most patients had neurological (58.0%) or musculoskeletal (24.8%) conditions. Medicinal cannabis was perceived beneficial by 53.5% of patients. Mixed-effects modelling and post hoc multiple comparisons analysis showed significant changes overtime for pain, bowel problems, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, mood, quality of life (all <i>p</i> < 0.0001), breathing problems (<i>p</i> = 0.0035), and appetite (<i>p</i> = 0.0465) Symptom Assessment Scale scores. For the conditions, neuropathic pain/peripheral neuropathy had the highest rate of perceived benefit (66.6%), followed by Parkinson’s disease (60.9%), multiple sclerosis (60.0%), migraine (43.8%), chronic pain syndrome (42.1%), and spondylosis (40.0%). For the indications, medicinal cannabis had the greatest perceived effect on sleep (80.0%), followed by pain (51.5%), and muscle spasm (50%). Oral oil preparations of balanced delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol (average post-titration dose of 16.9 mg and 34.8 mg per day, respectively) were mainly prescribed. Somnolence was the most frequently reported side effect (21%). This study supports medicinal cannabis’ potential to safely treat non-cancer chronic conditions and indications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:38:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff17b600e6f24b088b7fa16d2ca0a4a5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:38:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff17b600e6f24b088b7fa16d2ca0a4a52023-11-16T21:20:12ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832023-02-01124148310.3390/jcm12041483A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal CannabisMichael Morris0Richard Chye1Zhixin Liu2Meera Agar3Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski4South West Sydney Clinical Campuses, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2170, AustraliaSacred Heart Health Service, St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, AustraliaStats Central, University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2170, AustraliaSouth West Sydney Clinical Campuses, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2170, AustraliaSouth West Sydney Clinical Campuses, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2170, AustraliaResearch describing patients using medicinal cannabis and its effectiveness is lacking. We aimed to describe adults with non-cancer diagnoses who are prescribed medicinal cannabis via a retrospective medical record review and assess its effectiveness and safety. From 157 Australian records, most were female (63.7%; mean age 63.0 years). Most patients had neurological (58.0%) or musculoskeletal (24.8%) conditions. Medicinal cannabis was perceived beneficial by 53.5% of patients. Mixed-effects modelling and post hoc multiple comparisons analysis showed significant changes overtime for pain, bowel problems, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, mood, quality of life (all <i>p</i> < 0.0001), breathing problems (<i>p</i> = 0.0035), and appetite (<i>p</i> = 0.0465) Symptom Assessment Scale scores. For the conditions, neuropathic pain/peripheral neuropathy had the highest rate of perceived benefit (66.6%), followed by Parkinson’s disease (60.9%), multiple sclerosis (60.0%), migraine (43.8%), chronic pain syndrome (42.1%), and spondylosis (40.0%). For the indications, medicinal cannabis had the greatest perceived effect on sleep (80.0%), followed by pain (51.5%), and muscle spasm (50%). Oral oil preparations of balanced delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol (average post-titration dose of 16.9 mg and 34.8 mg per day, respectively) were mainly prescribed. Somnolence was the most frequently reported side effect (21%). This study supports medicinal cannabis’ potential to safely treat non-cancer chronic conditions and indications.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/4/1483medicinal cannabisconditionsindicationsnon-cancerpainretrospective review |
| spellingShingle | Michael Morris Richard Chye Zhixin Liu Meera Agar Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal Cannabis Journal of Clinical Medicine medicinal cannabis conditions indications non-cancer pain retrospective review |
| title | A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal Cannabis |
| title_full | A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal Cannabis |
| title_fullStr | A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal Cannabis |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal Cannabis |
| title_short | A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Adults with Non-Cancer Diagnoses Prescribed Medicinal Cannabis |
| title_sort | retrospective medical record review of adults with non cancer diagnoses prescribed medicinal cannabis |
| topic | medicinal cannabis conditions indications non-cancer pain retrospective review |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/4/1483 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelmorris aretrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT richardchye aretrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT zhixinliu aretrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT meeraagar aretrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT valentinarazmovskinaumovski aretrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT michaelmorris retrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT richardchye retrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT zhixinliu retrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT meeraagar retrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis AT valentinarazmovskinaumovski retrospectivemedicalrecordreviewofadultswithnoncancerdiagnosesprescribedmedicinalcannabis |