When It Comes to Cannabis, Trust in Doctors' Judgement Runs High
- Majority of Canadians (54%) believe taking cannabis for medical reasons without consulting a doctor poses a risk.
- Knowledge of Canadian clinical trials investigating cannabis medicines is low.
- Slim majority of Canadians agree that their doctor is informed enough to treat them with cannabis.
- Majority of Canadians do not consider themselves as cannabis users.
OTTAWA, Feb. 26, 2019 /CNW/ - According to a recent
Ipsos poll commissioned by Tetra Bio-Pharma, it seems that Canadians believe that Doctor Knows Best when it comes to
recommending cannabis for a medical ailment, even though they are less convinced that they are well enough informed to treat them
with it. That concern should change as cannabinoid derived prescription drugs become approved by Health Canada, available in
pharmacies and covered by private and/or public drug plans. That time is soon approaching as numerous clinical trials
investigating the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid-derived drugs are currently underway.
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The study revealed that two in three (65%) Canadians would be willing (36% very/29% somewhat) to take a pharmaceutical drug
containing cannabis that their doctor prescribed, if it was approved by Health Canada and covered by either public or private
insurance. Those more likely to be willing to take these drugs include men (69%), those aged 18-34 (72%), and residents of
Ontario (71%). By contrast, if these drugs were not covered by public or private insurance and
patients had to pay out of pocket, four in ten (38%) would still be willing to do so (14% strongly/25% somewhat), particularly
among men (44%), those aged 18-34 (51%), and residents of BC (50%).
According to Dr. Guy Chamberland, Chief Executive Officer and CSO of Tetra Bio-Pharma, a global
leader in the discovery and development of cannabinoid-derived products, the Ipsos results reinforce current understanding of
consumer and physician behaviors. "Patients are open to cannabis as a medical treatment but want their healthcare professional to
be in charge. On the flip side, doctors, medical bodies and payors need the safety and efficacy data that they expect from any
drug they prescribe. Treatment with cannabis is complex, which is why the pharmaceutical pathway assures precise dosing and
consistent formulation."
Tetra Bio-Pharma undertook the research to gain a better understanding of the attitudes, behaviours and opinions of Canadians
on cannabis drugs, including their confidence in taking them, the incidence of medical conditions they have where cannabis
treatment could be used, as well as any barriers to cannabis drugs.
While much attention has been paid to the recent legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, the Ipsos study shows that 69% of respondents do not consider themselves to be cannabis users. Of
those that do, half say they use it for recreational purposes. Approximately a quarter of these users report taking it
exclusively for medical purposes. If that number seems low, it could be because medical doctors and medical associations are
still waiting for scientific data before recommending cannabis to their patients.
New Avenues for Pharmaceutical Research
Canadians seem confident that cannabis has a therapeutic benefit and would be willing to take it for pain and
associated symptoms. An overwhelming majority (82%) of Canadians agree (34% strongly agree/48% somewhat) that cannabis can
reduce pain and other symptoms. Furthermore, over two-thirds (68%) of Canadians are willing (30% very/38% somewhat) to take
cannabis to help manage chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, or depression. This is potentially interesting for those who suffer from
conditions that could be treated with cannabis-based medicines. Not surprisingly, this proportion reaches 84% (60% strongly/24%)
among those who suffer from three or more conditions that have been linked to treatment with a cannabis-based medicine.
When it comes to expanding access for patients to cannabis medicines through the regulatory pathway, one in six Canadians
(17%) say they are closely following the progress being made with Health Canada approving clinical trials for cannabis-based
medicines, while just over four in ten (41%) say they have heard of this development, but are not following it at all. Another
18% said they thought cannabis medicines already existed and the remaining one-quarter (24%) said they were not at all aware.
While cannabis is being authorized for medical purposes under the Cannabis Act, the products currently available are not
Health Canada approved prescription drugs. Several clinical trials are underway in Canada with a
view to investigating the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid-derived pharmaceuticals. Understandably, those suffering from one or
more conditions that could be treated with medical cannabis are more likely to be following this news closely. Furthermore, over
four in ten (43%) report being willing (23% very/21% somewhat) to participate in a clinical trial testing cannabis-based
medicines if these trials are approved by Health Canada and they were qualified for the trial.
Doctor Knows Best
Canadians seem to recognize that turning to cannabis to manage a health condition is not something they should do on
their own. Almost nine in ten (88%) believe that there is some degree of risk (25% major/29% moderate/34% minor) in taking
cannabis for health conditions without consulting a physician. This should be a comforting thought considering the side effects
that cannabis can have for individuals suffering from mental illness, cardiac conditions and diabetes, among other
conditions.
Canadians' level of trust in their doctor remains high when it comes to their judgement over whether to prescribe cannabis.
Just under three-quarters (72%) agree (29% strongly /43% somewhat) that they would trust a drug containing cannabis if their
doctor prescribed it. Interestingly though, not everyone is fully confident that their doctor is up-to-date on cannabis
treatments. Only a slim majority of Canadians agree that their doctor knows how to treat them with cannabis (56%; 14%
strongly/42% somewhat) and that their doctor is sufficiently well-informed on how to do so (53%; 13% strongly/41%
somewhat). This suggests that Canadians believe there is room for an improvement in knowledge. It is widely believed that
the integration of cannabinoid-derived drugs within the Canadian medical system will become a catalyst for the education and
training of doctors on how to prescribe cannabis, something that is complex given the need for precise dosing and consistent
product quality.
If ordinary Canadians are open to taking cannabis-based medicines, it seems that doctors are also receptive to prescribing
them to patients. While only one in ten (11%) Canadians has asked their doctor to prescribe cannabis for a health condition, 45%
of those who did so report that their doctor prescribed cannabis willingly. Another 20% said their doctor prescribed cannabis,
but was hesitant, while 11% reported that their doctor prescribed another drug instead.
About the Survey
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between December 7 and December 10,
2018, on behalf of Tetra Bio-Pharma. For this survey, a sample of 2,002 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online via the
Ipsos I-Say panel. The poll is accurate to within ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been
polled.
About Tetra Bio-Pharma
Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX-V: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) is a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and
development with a Health Canada approved and FDA reviewed clinical program aimed at bringing novel
prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Tetra Bio-Pharma has subsidiaries engaged in the
development of an advanced and growing pipeline of Bio Pharmaceuticals and Natural Health containing cannabis and other
medicinal plant-based elements. With patients at the core of its mission, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing
rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing bio pharma industry by regulators,
physicians and insurance companies. For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com.
SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc
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