Cannabis in Portugal - Knowledge, attitudes and training gaps of pharmacists and pharmaceutical sciences students
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Keywords
Cannabis, Medical Marijuana, Pharmacists, Students, Pharmacy
Abstract
Background: In 2018, the Law on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes was passed in Portugal. The pharmacist, between the doctor and the patient, plays a fundamental role in the effective and safe use of this therapy.This study fills a gap in understanding the knowledge and opinions of pharmacists and pharmaceutical science students on medicinal cannabis in Portugal. Objective: The aim is to analyse the knowledge and opinions of pharmacists and future pharmacists on medicinal cannabis in Portugal. Methods: A survey was drawn up, based on other surveys used in international studies, adapting it to the national reality. It was divided into three parts: I) social-demographic data; II) knowledge, stigma and attitudes and III) training. The observational, cross-sectional study included a sample of 429 pharmacists and 190 pharmaceutical science students. The survey was distributed between December 2022 and May 2023 using social media and mailing lists. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics (using the SPSS platform, version 28). Results: We received 619 answers, 429 from pharmacists and 190 from pharmaceutical science students. Exploring the opinions, the majority of pharmacists seem to be receptive to issues such as the legalisation of the cannabis plant for recreational purposes, while pharmaceutical science students agree with the legalisation of the plant for recreational purposes and most were in favour of self-cultivation for medical use. Both cohorts agree that they have little knowledge on medicinal cannabis and most of the respondents felt they needed training. Conclusion: Increasing and improving the level of knowledge of these health professionals and future health professionals through under and post-graduate training is essential if the pharmacists are to maintain the same quality of services that their patients have grown used to, also in the area of medical cannabis. Clinical cases, current legislation and drug dispensing can be starting points in both cases.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Aliete Cunha-Oliveira, PhD, MSc, RN. Assistant Professor. Higher School of Nursing, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing and Coimbra School of Nursing / CEIS20-UC, Coimbra
Nursing and Coimbra School of Nursing