Medical Cannabis Fundamentals: The Essential Guide to Dispensing for Pharmacists

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The topics explored within each module of this course are outlined below.

Module 1: A brief history of medical cannabis

• The history of cannabis - its uses in ancient cultures through to modern day
• Societal backlash and preconceptions surrounding medical cannabis and the resulting effects today
• Emerging research on cannabis in therapeutic space

Module 2: Cannabis botany, taxonomy and genetics

• Cannabis' botanical properties
• How the terms "Indica" and "Sativa" have been used and misconstrued
• Categorisations used to classify cannabis plants
• The genetic history of cannabis by exploring how modern-day horticultural practices produce the wide range of cultivars presently available
• The various terms of reference for cannabis throughout history and today

Module 3: Endocannabinoid system

• What is the endocannabinoid system?
• What led to the discovery of this system which emerged prior to vertebrate life and appear across many species today including all mammalian life?
• How does it produce physiological change and where in the body does this occur?

Module 4: Clinical applications

The theory of Cannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome, treatment potential of cananbinoid therapies, evidence for practice and emerging areas of research for patients suffering with:

• Chronic pain
• Palliative care and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
• Neurological disorders
• Mental health issues
• Inflammation and immune disorders

Module 5: Adverse effects

• The acute toxicity and safety of THC and CBD
• The short- and long-term effects of cannabinoid use
• Absolute and relative contraindications for treatment
• Potential drug-drug interactions to be wary of
• Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome and its management, a paradoxical condition caused by cannabis use

Module 6: Patient care

• Patient-centred care – the mainstay of quality care provision in Australia
• Patient cohorts – we'll provide you with real-world insights into the current Australian patient base and their use of cannabis as a medicine
• Dosing and titration – how to initiate, titrate and monitor therapy in your patients
• Delivery methods and administration formats – how these compounds are administered and patient-centred considerations in choosing an administration method
• Balanced cannabinoid ratios – using THC and CBD together for maximal treatment outcomes
• Biphasic effects – consideration of dose-dependent responses in your patients
• Chemovar considerations – the differences between products and considerations in choosing treatments
• Harm-reduction principles – working with your patients to provide the best outcomes

Module 7: Roles and responsibilities for pharmacists

• The roles and responsibilities of pharmacists for dispensing medical cannabis and patient care
• Methods for building strong rapport with patients towards transparency, trust and effective treatment
• Options for educating patients on medical cannabis products, their safe use and storage, and potential effects to work towards ensuring safety and effective treatment
• Record-keeping and reporting obligations for medical cannabis products
• The importance of collaboration between teams for safer treatment and better therapeutical outcomes

Module 8: Prepare to dispense

• Storage requirements for medical cannabis products, including security measure, controlled environments and inventory tracking and labelling
• Quality control measures for stocking high quality, effective medical cannabis products
• Legal requirements for reporting and tracking medical cannabis distribution

Module 9: The TGA Process

• The regulation of cannabis medicines in Australia and the TGA's role in managing access to cannabinoid therapies.
• Special Access Scheme B and how to provide cannabis using the approval pathway

Accreditation number: CX23103. This activity has been endorsed by Australian Pharmacy Council (APC).

This activity has been accredited for 1 hour of Group 1 CPD (or 1 Group 1 CPD credit) and 8 hours of Group 1 CPD (or 8 CPD credits) suitable for inclusion in an individual pharmacist’s CPD plan which can be converted to 8 hours of Group 2 CPD (or 16 Group 2 CPD credits) upon successful completion of relevant assessment activities.

Competencies Standards (2016): 1.3, 1.5, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6.

Disclaimer

SAGED would like to declare the following information regarding authors of this course:

• Imogen Phillips is employed by Alternaleaf.
• Celina Jabbour is employed by Montu.