{"id":1492,"date":"2022-06-10T01:54:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T04:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new-website.wecann.academy\/2022\/06\/10\/how-treatment-with-medical-cannabis-can-reduce-polypharmacy\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T23:31:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T02:31:06","slug":"how-treatment-with-medical-cannabis-can-reduce-polypharmacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wecann.academy\/en\/how-treatment-with-medical-cannabis-can-reduce-polypharmacy\/","title":{"rendered":"How treatment with medical cannabis can reduce polypharmacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/strong>polypharmacy is characterized by routine and concomitant use of four or more<\/strong> drugs by a patient \u2013 with or without prescription. The increase in life span is a factor related to the practice of polypharmacy, given the higher prevalence of chronic diseases in the<\/span><\/span> elderly population<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The concomitant use of multiple drugs is associated not only with a higher incidence of side effects and complications resulting from drug interactions, but also with higher expenses associated with hospital operations and public health costs in general.<\/p>\n

The incorporation of cannabis-based drugs into medical practice can be a valuable tool in this scenario, since it is already scientifically known that cannabinoid derivatives bring together a series of therapeutic properties capable of relieving and managing a variety of symptoms.<\/p>\n

In this article, we are going to talk more about treatment using medical cannabis, showing why doctors need to pay attention to this therapeutic arsenal to reduce polypharmacy and enhance the patients\u2019 quality of life.<\/p>\n

Polypharmacy in Brazil <\/h3>\n

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A research published in 2017 on the<\/span><\/span> Revista de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica<\/span><\/span><\/a> of the University of S\u00e3o Paulo<\/strong> shows that polypharmacy indexes in Brazil are more frequently associated with arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, depression and chronic pain,<\/strong> and are in line with the results of other national and international studies on this subject.<\/p>\n

According to the aforementioned study, these are prevalent conditions in the country, especially in the elderly population<\/strong>whose treatment presupposes the concomitant use of multiple drugs. The research was conducted on a total of 9,000<\/strong> users of SUS primary care, covering the five Brazilian regions.<\/p>\n

The results show that the prevalence of polypharmacy among drug product users was 9,4%<\/strong> in the general population and 18,1%<\/strong> in the elderly over 65 years. The most commonly used medicines were those related to<\/span><\/span> cardiovascular system.<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Other medicines were also highlighted among those most used by polypharmacy patients, such as amitriptyline<\/strong>, clonazepam<\/strong>, diazepam<\/strong>, fluoxetine<\/strong> and ibuprofen<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

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Interestingly, conditions often treated by those drugs \u2014 such as <\/span><\/span>anxiety<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/span>sleep disorders<\/span><\/span><\/a> and <\/span><\/span>chronic pain<\/span><\/span><\/a> may show promising responses with medical cannabis. <\/p>\n

You can read the full research here:<\/strong><\/span><\/span> Polypharmacy: a reality in the Unified Health System primary care<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Risks and Costs Associated with Polypharmacy <\/h3>\n

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Although the concomitant use of multiple drugs can represent an effective way to control and fight some diseases, the practice of polypharmacy increases the likelihood of drug interactions and the occurrence of adverse effects<\/strong> in patients. In addition, in many cases, the concomitant use of drugs makes hampers the compliance and effectiveness of treatments.<\/p>\n

The elderly, for example, are more susceptible to toxicity and action of certain drugs, due to physiological changes typical of ageing, such as decreased metabolic functions and loss of muscle mass.<\/p>\n

And it is precisely the elderly, the majority of polypharmacy patients, to face chronic<\/strong> conditions such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, among others.<\/p>\n

Reducing polypharmacy is an important issue not only to promote the health of the population on a large scale, but also to reduce expenses related to hospital operations and public health in general.<\/p>\n

After all, the greater the number of drugs prescribed, the greater the cost for the patient and the greater the healthcare expenses, including the treatment of conditions resulting from adverse effects associated with the use of multiple drugs.<\/p>\n

Medical cannabis in medical practice<\/h2>\n

Scientific research shows that the<\/span><\/span> Endocannabinoid System<\/span><\/span><\/a> is involved in a number of functions in our body, such as appetite control, energy balance, neuroprotection, pain modulation, several inflammatory responses, and many other physiological processes.<\/p>\n

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Therefore, therapies focused on the Endocannabinoid System, especially <\/span><\/span>cannabinoid<\/span><\/span><\/a> derivatives can bring promising results for several clinical conditions, showing an optimistic scenario in reducing polypharmacy. And the best, results allied to low occurrence of adverse effects to patients.<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Advances in studies on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids and the recent resolutions that regulate the marketing of Cannabis-based products in Brazil and around the world are increasingly enhancing this therapy in medical practice. <\/p>\n

Do you want to learn more about the use of cannabinoids in medical practice?<\/strong><\/span><\/span> Discover the wide therapeutic spectrum of<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a> medicinal Cannabis and see how medicines based on this plant can alleviate several symptoms and clinical conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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How Cannabis Can Reduce the Use of Medicines<\/h2>\n

Although CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) are the best-known and most researched cannabinoids among Cannabis chemovars, the plant brings together more than 550 chemical<\/strong>compounds,<\/span> <\/span>flavonoids<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a> and<\/span> <\/span>terpenes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a> with wide therapeutic potential.<\/p>\n

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These compounds act on several groups of receptors in our body, <\/span><\/span>endocannabinoid receptors<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>opioids, glutamatergic, GABAergic, dopaminergic, acetylcholinergic, transient receptor potential channels, nuclear receptors, among others. This confers a wide range of action of cannabinoid derivatives, in modulation of pain and inflammatory processes, mood, sleep-wake cycle, appetite and energy balance, among others.<\/p>\n

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Together, the different chemical elements of the plant act in synergy to enhance therapeutic results and reduce the occurrence of possible adverse effects. This process is called the <\/span><\/span>Entourage Effect<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To better understand how the Entourage Effect occurs, visit<\/strong><\/span><\/span> this content<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a> and see how to optimize results using full spectrum products.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are already studies linking the use of cannabinoid derivatives to reduction of polypharmacy, such as<\/span><\/span> this research<\/span><\/span><\/a> North American research published in 2021 in the Journal of Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids<\/strong>. This study shows that cannabis-based therapy helped to reduce or completely discontinue drug use in 65%<\/strong> of patients, in the study sample.<\/p>\n

That study evaluated 157 <\/strong>participants (64 men and 93 women), aged from 21 to 76 years, who used medical cannabis to treat anxiety, stress and pain. In addition to reporting important therapeutic effectiveness, when asked whether the frequency of use of conventional medications decreased during treatment with medical cannabis, 78,3%<\/strong> of patients reported changes in relation to consumption of OTC medicines<\/strong> (\u201c<\/span>(\u201cover-the-counter\u201d, which are non-prescription products in pharmacies, such as painkillers and various anti-inflammatory drugs).<\/p>\n

As 17% of these patients provided incomplete information, some results could not be categorized. After excluding them from analysis, the authors’ conclusions were as follows:<\/p>\n