PSY28 The Effect of Medicinal Cannabis on Quality of Life in the Management of NON-Cancer Chronic PAIN: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Medicinal cannabis (MC) is an emerging therapeutic option for non-cancer chronic pain. However, its effects on a patient’s quality of life are still widely unknown, and its use still illegal in many countries. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the results of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that study the effect of medicinal cannabis on quality of life in the treatment of non-cancer chronic pain. This study was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) protocol and was registered with PROSPERO. A search of Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science was undertaken for literature published on the use of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of non-malignant chronic pain, and its effect on quality of life. Relevant data was extracted from studies and methodological quality assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The search identified 659 research articles. Six studies were selected following application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The qualitative review of these studies showed methodological quality was medium/high. The included studies show an overall improvement in quality of life with the use of medicinal cannabis using recognised assessment tools such as the EQ-5D and SF-36. This reached statistical significance in four studies. For the improvement of pain, five of the studies favoured medicinal cannabis over comparators, while one RCT favoured the use of dihydrocodeine. The low number of included studies highlights the lack of trials and research in the use of medicinal cannabis in non-cancer chronic pain for this purpose. This review suggests that medicinal cannabis has positive effects on patients’ quality of life in treating chronic pain. However, further research of its clinical effectiveness is required with consideration of longer term safety data.