Background: Use of medical cannabis (MC) in Israel has increased since its regulatory approval in 2016. Currently, more than 1% of Israeli adults are treated with MC; this requires primary care physicians (PCPs) to be familiar with this treatment option.
Objectives: We assessed the attitudes and knowledge of Israeli PCPs toward MC and evaluated their willingness to prescribe it for different medical conditions.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey which was distributed to PCPs in Israel. Physicians were asked about their opinions, knowledge, and willingness to prescribe MC.
Results: Two hundred and one PCPs answered the questionnaire. Their average age was 47 years (±11.2), 71% were specialists. 51% of the respondents thought that MC is an effective treatment. 63% replied that they had little knowledge and 75% indicated that they would like to deepen it. 61% of the respondents were willing to initiate an MC treatment for a dying patient, while less than 50% were willing to initiate MC treatment for various other conditions. Most respondents indicated that they were willing to renew a prescription for any approved medical condition. Willingness to prescribe MC increased for physicians who agreed that MC was effective (odds ratio [OR] 21.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.40-200.85), for physicians who strongly agreed with the statement that they had sufficient knowledge (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.58-15.83) and for residents compared with specialists (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.52-10.73).
Conclusions: Our survey revealed PCPs' differing opinions and insufficient knowledge regarding treatment with MC. These findings suggest that continuing medical education regarding MC is needed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmab108 | DOI Listing |
J Subst Use Addict Treat
January 2025
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine; Appalachian Institute to Advance Health Equity Science (ADVANCE), Athens, OH 45701, United States of America. Electronic address:
Introduction: Buprenorphine is a highly effective medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD; OUD), which can be prescribed alongside naloxone in the primary care setting as part of a harm reduction approach to OUD. Despite this potential, implementation challenges have limited adoption of MOUD. To address barriers at the organizational level, we need better tools to measure perceived organizational support for the treatment of OUD and use of MOUD in the primary care setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Subst Use Addict Treat
January 2025
Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America. Electronic address:
Introduction: Buprenorphine and other medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are highly effective but substantially under prescribed in the rural United States. Among the most cited barriers to buprenorphine prescribing is stigma, yet little progress has been made in developing successful strategies to reduce stigma and increase access to life-saving medication. One of the key challenges to developing successful implementation strategies is understanding the different types of stigma that limit implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntibiotics (Basel)
January 2025
Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Haus 33, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
Background/objectives: Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat to safe health care, and a reduction in antibiotic consumption seems to be an appropriate preventive measure. In Germany, the reporting of hospital antibiotics consumption to an independent institution is only voluntary. Although a high level of willingness to improve can be assumed in the case of participation, the median consumptions of reporting hospitals change only slightly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCan J Psychiatry
January 2025
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Objective: Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) but few persons with SMI are offered smoking cessation treatment. The purpose of this study was to pilot-test a multicomponent intervention to increase the delivery of evidence-based smoking cessation treatment in community mental health clinics (CMHCs).
Method: This study was carried out at five CMHCs in Maryland involving clinicians who participated in training in smoking cessation.
Res Social Adm Pharm
January 2025
Newcastle University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, UK; Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK; Population Health Science Institute, Newcastle University, UK. Electronic address:
Introduction: The determinants of antimicrobial prescribing often involve social influence, which can be harnessed through behaviour change techniques (BCTs). While previous studies have used BCTs to address antimicrobial resistance, there is a lack of evidence regarding their application to address climate change-related issues in antibiotic prescribing. This study aimed to develop a behaviour change intervention (BCI) using information about greenhouse gas emissions to reduce liquid antibiotic prescribing.
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