What do pharmacists know and think about medical marijuana? A report from the Golden State
By Dara Szyliowicz and Peter Hilsenrath
From Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
“Views on the medical efficacy and acceptability of marijuana (cannabis) have changed dramatically in recent years. Today, most Americans (62%) favor legalization, and most states have approved marijuana for medical use. California was the first state to allow individuals to legally use medical marijuana and has recently allowed recreational use. California is already a very large market and it is expected to become the largest in the country, with estimated sales of $7.2 billion by 2024.
Even with the long history of use and widespread agreement concerning effectiveness of medical marijuana, little is known about the role that health care providers, including pharmacists, play in this interaction. Pharmacists are often the primary providers with the most patient contact on a regular basis and serve to provide information about the effects of drugs, including adverse interactions. Furthermore, pharmacists are distributed in under-served areas to a greater extent than physicians and are often first-line providers. Many states, including California, have designated pharmacists as healthcare providers and there is an expectation that they will play an essential role, particularly in areas where there is a shortage of providers. Yet, little is known about their knowledge and views of medical marijuana. The purpose of our study is to help shed light on this important topic.
We conducted a survey of pharmacists in collaboration with the California Pharmacists Association who provided a link in their newsletter in October 2017. The survey consisted of 44 questions divided into several categories including knowledge, opinions and thoughts about medical marijuana. The response was good, with over 400 completed surveys.
Results indicate most pharmacists believe marijuana does have medical efficacy. Yet, though marijuana is used for chronic pain, seizures and other ailments, pharmacists are concerned that not enough is known about adverse effects. Most do not feel they possess enough information about medical marijuana and, perhaps more interestingly (and importantly), do not know where to get it. The legal environment is troubling; pharmacists would feel more comfortable discussing medical marijuana if there was no discord between federal and state law. A large majority believe more research needs to occur in a variety of areas including marijuana’s effects on specific diseases, dosing and adverse impacts. Unfortunately, given the conflicted regulatory environment in the United States, carrying out such research is likely to remain problematic.”
Article Details:
Medical Marijuana Knowledge and Attitudes: A Survey of the California Pharmacists Association
Dara Szyliowicz, Peter Hilsenrath
DOI: 10.1177/2150132719831871
Dara Szyliowicz, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of the Pacific. Her expertise is in analyzing how industries grow and firms compete in changing environments. Her research focuses on industries undergoing transformation and dealing with regulatory heterogeneity. In recent years she has specialized in industries such as financial services and legal marijuana. She has served on the executive committee for the entrepreneurship division of the Academy of Management, and her work has appeared in numerous journals including the International Journal of Management Education, Management and Organizational History and the International Business Review.