Clinical Oncology News

“Whether or not doctors or other health care professionals have any intention of recommending medical cannabis for patient care, they all need to be well educated in this clinical area because their patients will be seeking their expert advice and guidance for this medication,” noted Stephen B. Corn, MD, a specialist in anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital, both in Boston. Since patients may already be using medical marijuana, clinicians “need to be aware of the physiological effects of cannabis as well as potential drug interactions and side effects,” Dr. Corn added, stressing that expertise in medical cannabis will be necessary for most doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals.

Clinicians who care for patients using cannabis for medical purposes legally now have an online resource, the Cannabis Care Certification (CCC) program, which is designed to provide information about medical cannabis to individuals who are starting or considering cannabis therapy and health care professionals looking to learn about the endocannabinoid system and medical cannabis.

The CCC’s Patient & Caregiver Education Program features two hours of video education addressing dosage, titration, labeling of cannabis therapeutics, transporting medical cannabis and more. People who sign up for the Patient & Caregiver Program also receive a free legal overview and a list of requirements for participating in their state Medical Cannabis Program, and those who complete the program receive a Cannabis Care Patient and Caregiver Certification.

CCC’s Medical Professional Education Program covers the endocannabinoid system as well as the therapeutic use of cannabis for several disease states. The content and its presentation are designed to be of educational value to people who are new to medical cannabis therapy as well as those with years of experience in this area of clinical practice.

Successful completion of the Medical Professional Program culminates in the health care professional being awarded a certification, continuing medical education (CME) credits, a patient education subscription and an option to be listed in the referral section of the CCC website.

“Whether or not doctors or other health care professionals have any intention of recommending medical cannabis for patient care, they all need to be well educated in this clinical area because their patients will be seeking their expert advice and guidance for this medication,” noted Stephen B. Corn, MD, a specialist in anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital, both in Boston. Since patients may already be using medical marijuana, clinicians “need to be aware of the physiological effects of cannabis as well as potential drug interactions and side effects,” Dr. Corn added, stressing that expertise in medical cannabis will be necessary for most doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals.

The CCC program was launched in December by Americans for Safe Access and The Answer Page, a website that provides peer-reviewed CME content focused on the endocannabinoid system and the therapeutic use of medical cannabis, pain medicine and opioid prescribing. For more information, visit www.theanswerpage.com and www.CannabisCareCertification.org.

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