Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29449241›Full record

GuidelineCanadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien2018

Simplified guideline for prescribing medical cannabinoids in primary care.

G Michael Allan, Jamil Ramji, Danielle Perry, Joey Ton, Nathan P Beahm, Nicole Crisp, Beverly Dockrill, Ruth E Dubin, Ted Findlay, Jessica Kirkwood and 9 more

Abstract readPractice Guideline
PubMed Full text at PMC
In one paragraph

Guideline in Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 76 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
15.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 138 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Managing opioid use disorder in primary care: PEER simplified guideline.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2019
    Guideline
  5. Pooled it
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Perceptions of cannabis among adults aged 60 years and older in Canada: a qualitative study.Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice · 2025
    Article
  12. Review
  13. Neuropathic Pain in Cancer: What Are the Current Guidelines?Current treatment options in oncology · 2024
    Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article

16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors at 15 institutions in 4 countries.

G Michael AllanProfessor of Evidence-Based Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. michael.allan@ualberta.ca.
Jamil RamjiKnowledge Translation Expert in the Physician Learning Program with the Alberta Medical Association and in Lifelong Learning and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta.
Danielle PerryKnowledge Translation Expert in the Physician Learning Program with the Alberta Medical Association and in Lifelong Learning and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta.
Joey TonKnowledge Translation Expert in the Physician Learning Program with the Alberta Medical Association and in Lifelong Learning and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta.
Nathan P BeahmResearch Fellow in the EPICORE Centre at the University of Alberta.
Nicole CrispNurse practitioner in the Division of Hematology at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton.
Beverly DockrillRetired registered nurse and patient representative from Edmonton.
Ruth E DubinAssociate Professor at Queen's University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in Kingston, Ont.
Ted FindlayConsultant for Alberta Health Services Chronic Pain Centre and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary in Alberta.
Jessica KirkwoodFamily physician at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre in Edmonton.
Michael FlemingDirector of Family Physician Programs in Continuing Professional Development in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS.
Ken MakusDirector of the Adult Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta.
Xiaofu ZhuMedical oncologist at Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton.
Christina KorownykAssociate Professor of Evidence-Based Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta.
Michael R KolberAssociate Professor of Evidence-Based Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta in Peace River.
James McCormackProfessor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Sharon NickelCoordinator of Evidence-Based Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta and the Alberta College of Family Physicians.
Guillermina NoëlHealth Innovation Studio Lead and Human-centred Knowledge Designer for Lifelong Learning in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.
Adrienne J LindbladKnowledge Translation and Evidence Coordinator for the Alberta College of Family Physicians and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta.
Alberta Medical Association · CAUniversity of Alberta · CAAlberta College · LVAlberta Health Services · CACollege & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta · CACollege of Family Physicians of Canada · CADalhousie University · CAEvidence Based Research (United States) · USInstitute of Cancer Research · CAQueen's University · CAThe Design Knowledge Company (United States) · USThe Family Centre · NZUnited States Institute of Peace · USUniversity of Alberta Hospital · CAUniversity of British Columbia · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo develop a clinical practice guideline for a simplified approach to medical cannabinoid use in primary care; the focus was on primary care application, with a strong emphasis on best available evidence and a promotion of shared, informed decision making.

methodsThe Evidence Review Group performed a detailed systematic review of 4 clinical areas with the best evidence around cannabinoids: pain, nausea and vomiting, spasticity, and adverse events. Nine health professionals (2 generalist family physicians, 2 pain management-focused family physicians, 1 inner-city family physician, 1 neurologist, 1 oncologist, 1 nurse practitioner, and 1 pharmacist) and a patient representative comprised the Prescribing Guideline Committee (PGC), along with 2 nonvoting members (pharmacist project managers). Member selection was based on profession, practice setting, location, and lack of financial conflicts of interest. The guideline process was iterative through content distribution, evidence review, and telephone and online meetings. The PGC directed the Evidence Review Group to address and provide evidence for additional questions as needed. The key recommendations were derived through consensus of the PGC. The guideline was drafted, refined, and distributed to a group of clinicians and patients for feedback, then refined again and finalized by the PGC. RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendations include limiting medical cannabinoid use in general, but also outline potential restricted use in a small subset of medical conditions for which there is some evidence (neuropathic pain, palliative and end-of-life pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and spasticity due to multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury). Other important considerations regarding prescribing are reviewed in detail, and content is offered to support shared, informed decision making.

conclusionThis simplified medical cannabinoid prescribing guideline provides practical recommendations for the use of medical cannabinoids in primary care. All recommendations are intended to assist with, not dictate, decision making in conjunction with patients.

Indexed as

CannabinoidsDecision MakingEvidence-Based MedicineHumansMuscle SpasticityNauseaPainPrimary Health CareVomitingCannabinoids

Identifiers

PMID29449241
PMCPMC5964385
OpenAlexW2789174467

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.