Toronto, Canada: Radiation therapists working in Canada, where the use of medical cannabis has been legal for more than two decades, acknowledge being unprepared to discuss the use of medical cannabis with their cancer patients, according to survey data published in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences.
Investigators surveyed 282 radiation therapists. Just under one-fifth (19 percent) said that they frequently received inquiries from their patients about the use of medical cannabis. However, nearly 100 percent of those surveyed “believed that their radiation therapy training did not prepare them to support patients using cannabis.”
Authors concluded, “The findings of this study strongly advocate for the development of educational tools to meet Therapists clinical needs.”
Healthcare professionals in the United States and abroad – including nurses, pharmacists, clinicians, and nurse practitioners – consistently acknowledge that they are inadequately trained to counsel patients on matters specific to medical cannabis.
Survey data published in September reported that nearly one-third of US cancer patients turn to cannabis for symptom management, but most fail to inform their healthcare providers that they are using it.
Full text of the study, “Therapeutic cannabis use by patients with cancer in Canada: A national survey of the experiences, opinions, and information needs of Radiation Therapists,” appears in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences.