Atitudes dos Médicos das Unidades de Dor dos Hospitais Portugueses acerca da Prescrição e Utilização de Canabinoides no Tratamento da Dor Crónica

Abstract

Although its recommendation remains contentious, cannabinoids have been shown to have some beneficial effects on the quality of life of patients with chronic pain. This study aims to describe the attitudes of doctors in Pain Units of Portuguese hospitals towards prescribing cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain, in the context of the 2018 Portuguese legislation. A specific questionnaire was developed based on literature review and the adaptation of similar pre-existing studies, which was distributed from January 8th to February 26th. We analyzed the responses of 27 professionals, mostly anesthesiologists (81.5%), female (77.8%), with a median age of 59 years. The results indicate that over 80% of respondents consider cannabinoids a legitimate therapeutic option and 55.6% have already prescribed medicinal cannabis, reporting an improvement in the management of chronic pain in 76.9% of cases. However, 30.7% of doctors expressed concerns about the potential increase in the risk of substance abuse. The study also highlights challenges in accessibility due to high costs and associated stigma, with 46.2% of respondents arguing that current legislation is insufficient to ensure adequate patient access to this therapy. The results suggest a moderate acceptance of cannabinoids in the management of chronic pain, despite perceived barriers to their full therapeutic integration.