cannabisnews.com: Doctors Should Use Caution in Prescribing Pot





Doctors Should Use Caution in Prescribing Pot
Posted by FoM on February 20, 2002 at 07:58:38 PT
By Shannon Boklaschuk 
Source: StarPhoenix
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan is urging doctors to be cautious in prescribing medical marijuana, an official with the college said Tuesday. At a meeting of the college's council on Friday, a policy was developed outlining the college's position on the medical use of marijuana, said Dr. Dennis Kendel, college registrar. 
"I think it's fair to say it encourages physicians to be cautious, in the same way that we would encourage physicians to be cautious in relation to any new form of therapy for which there is, frankly, very little evidence in regards to its safety and effectiveness for medical purposes," Kendel said. The policy states that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan is "uncertain of the safety and efficacy of the medical use of marijuana." It also advises that "physicians should not prescribe any drug for their patients without knowing the risk, benefits, potential complications, and drug interactions associated with this agent." Kendel said few long-term studies have been done on pot, so possible complications associated with its extended use are unknown. Kendel added that traditionally when a new drug is launched, it would go through years of testing and observation to determine what sort of dosages work most effectively and what the side effects are. "That just hasn't happened with marijuana," he said. The college's medical marijuana policy also advises physicians who decide to assist with the application process and prescribe marijuana to be aware the college expects documentation acknowledging "the patient has been informed that the study on this agent is incomplete, and that the long-term complications associated with chronic use are unknown." The college also expects doctors to document why they chose to prescribe pot, as well as an inventory of the drugs and procedures previously tried and the reason for their failure, the policy states. The Canadian Medical Protective Association, which insures doctors, wrote to former Health Minister Allan Rock that physicians could be legally liable if patients suffer negative consequences because of the drug. Kendel said the policy will be sent to physicians in the near future. He added other colleges across Canada have also tried to provide guidance to doctors in relation to medical marijuana. New federal regulations, which came into force last summer, allow certain patients with chronic or terminal illnesses to apply to Health Canada for permission to use marijuana. The regulations apply to patients who have less than a year to live; those suffering from AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, severe arthritis or epilepsy, as well as those suffering from other conditions, if marijuana is recommended by two specialists. Timothy Hampton, Saskatchewan president of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) estimates marijuana could help the conditions of about 5,000 Saskatchewan patients. Hampton said he thinks doctors have been leery about prescribing pot because they don't know much about it. But he said he's aware of studies that show it's not a dangerous drug. "People have a tendency to pick and choose their studies no matter which side they're on," he said.Note: Studies have not proven drug safe to use for medical purposes: college.Complete Title: Policy Says Doctors Should Use Caution in Prescribing Pot Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)Author: Shannon Boklaschuk Published: February 20, 2002Copyright: 2002 The StarPhoenixContact: spnews thesp.comWebsite: http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/Related Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmMedicinal Pot Smoke Dangerous, MDs Sayhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11830.shtmlDoctors Cautioned When Prescribing Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11823.shtml
END SNIP -->
Snipped
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on February 21, 2002 at 18:01:41 PT
Doctors should use pot in prescribing caution
...they don't know much about it...I will take a prescription for pot and will take part in a study.It relieves back pain, headache pain, and muscular pain for starters.Caution is thrown completely to the wind when prescriptions are written for ritalin, zoloft, paxil, etc.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on February 20, 2002 at 09:14:12 PT:
Neighbors in Saskatchewan
I would urge anyone in Saskatchewan, especially physicians, to contact me for supporting educational materials on clinical cannabis. Anyone here who has contacts there can pass along materials, or suggest monitoring this site. No one should be afraid of the promise of this medicine.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment