Considerations for Counseling Patients Using Medical Marijuana

Leticia Shea, PharmD, BCACP, who is an associate professor of pharmacy at Regis University, advises how pharmacists should approach counseling patients who are using medical cannabis.

Transcript

“I think it’s important for pharmacists to make sure their patients are comfortable with them enough to say that they are taking cannabis, so having that open discussion. Whether you are for or against the use of cannabis for treatment, I think it’s very important to make sure you have healthy dialogues with your patients so they feel comfortable with sharing it because there are a lot of drug interactions that can occur with medical cannabis, or cannabis in general.

The difference between medical cannabis and recreational cannabis in the state of Colorado is the cost. Regardless if it’s for recreation or not, we need to know what our patients are taking, same with dietary supplements and so forth, to make sure that conversation is had and we have it on their chart or we’re aware that they are taking it so we can ensure their safety with their other meds.”