Knowledge Hub
Want Medical Cannabis for Cancer-Related Pain? Keep it simple
Read our expert guide and then easily connect with a private pain doctor for personalised care and effortless prescriptions.
Download the App and head to Find A Doctor to submit an enquiry.
Exploring Cannabis for Cancer-Related Pain
For those suffering from cancer-related pain, it can sometimes feel as if there is little hope, particularly when traditional and licensed therapies have failed.
However, what if there was another option? One that has been used as a natural pain remedy for thousands of years but until recently largely left undiscovered by modern medicine. To understand whether medical cannabis for cancer-related pain is the right solution for you or a loved one, keep reading.
Ten years ago, the topic of medical cannabis for cancer-related pain wasn’t even a topic of debate amongst pain management specialists, such has been the persistence of a series of unfounded misconceptions about cannabis, heavily promoted by key figures within the US Government in the 1950s. Thankfully, the last ten years has seen a fundamental shift in perceptions about cannabis, and particularly about the use of medical cannabis for cancer-related pain.
In this article we’ll simplify and explain many of the misconceptions and myths surrounding medical cannabis for cancer-related pain and we’ll give a quick overview of the history of medical cannabis and how its’ transforming pain management in the UK. We’ll also highlight Script Assist’s role in helping patients access medical cannabis for cancer related pain and explain how we make the pathway to finding the most appropriate medication for you or a loved one easy, efficient, and seamless.
Crucially we will also present an overview of some of the most important pieces of research demonstrating the potential efficacy of medical cannabis for cancer related pain, so that you can be totally informed as to your treatment options and potential outcomes.
Ready to Find a Doctor Able to Prescribe Medical Cannabis for Cancer Related Pain?
Start Today
If You’re Considering Medical Cannabis for Cancer-Related Pain: Consider Script Assist
If you suffer from cancer-related pain then read this simple explainer to understand how Script Assist connects you with private doctors for bespoke, personal care alongside access to seamless medical cannabis prescriptions.
01
Check your eligibility
Our quick checker will let you know whether you’re likely eligible for medical cannabis for cancer related pain.
02
Find a Private Pain Doctor
Go to our Find a Doctor page – this is a digital directory of private doctors that can offer you a bespoke care plan, alongside streamlined access to medical cannabis prescriptions via Script Assist.
Check out which private doctor is right for you. You’re able to read their biography, understand their costs and decide which bets suits you.
If you have private medical insurance that covers your condition, check which doctors are covered by your insurance company. If the doctors covered by your insurance company are included on your policy then you may be able to use your insurance to cover some or all of your consultation costs.
03
Book, Pay and Join a Consultation
When your pain doctor accepts your enquiry, you’re able to go ahead and schedule a consultation.
Some doctors have a feature called Live Diary Access enabled. This means that you can book a slot directly in their diary, then pay via the Script Assist App and simply join the consultation when notified.
At this stage, whether your doctor is using Live Diary Access or not, you will need your authorisation code if intending on using your private medical insurance to cover some or all of your consultation costs.
Ready to Connect with a Private Pain Doctor for Medical Cannabis for Cancer Related Pain?
04
Pay and Track Your Prescription
If your pain doctor writes you a prescription for medical cannabis you will then be able to simply pay for this through the Script Assist App.
Pay before 3pm to guarantee next-day delivery by 1pm.
You’re also able to track your prescription every step of the way, from the second your doctor clicks “prescribe” to the second it lands on your doorstep.
Find a Doctor Today That Can Prescribe Medical Cannabis for Cancer-Related Pain
05
Request Your Repeat
When you medication is likely running low, your Script Assist app will remind you to reorder a medical cannabis prescription.
Simply request the medical cannabis product that you would like to request a repeat prescription in your Script Assist App.
Your pain doctor can then accept this request with a single click.
Ready to Connect with a Private Pain Doctor? Find a Doctor Here
Download Our Patient App
Connect with a private specialist prescribing via Script Assist for your condition.
Find a Specialist
Quickly match with UK specialists prescribing for your condition.
Check Insurance Coverage
Review doctor profiles, compare fees, and verify insurance coverage.
Get Started
Settled on a doctor? Schedule your app consultation effortlessly.
Understanding Cancer-Related Pain
Cancer-related pain covers a whole host of different types of pain caused either by cancer or cancer treatments. Cancer-related pain can be either acute, chronic or a mix of the two. It can also vary in intensity and duration. Often those suffering with cancer-related pain will suffer different types of pain during the course of their illness, but these different pain types can also overlap on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. In part, trying to treat so many different types of pain is one of the most challenging aspects for healthcare professionals.
Most pain management specialists would agree that treating patients with cancer related pain, with conventional treatments alone, has significant limitations. Very few patients undergoing cancer treatment respond well to long term opioid usage given the broad range of extremely negative potential side effects such as nausea, constipation and general gastro-intestinal issues, cognitive impairment, and dependency.
The troublesome side effects relating to long-term opioids usage are the reasons by pain management specialists in the UK are becoming increasingly interested about the use of medical cannabis for cancer-related pain. Medical cannabis for cancer related pain has a favourable safety profile and is generally received well by patients. This, combined with an emerging body of evidence suggests that medical cannabis for cancer related pain is something that should be considered as a viable treatment plan for private patients in the UK suffering from cancer related pain.
However, just because medical cannabis for cancer related pain is legal, and patients want alternative therapies without the negative side effects of long-term opioid use, that doesn’t mean that finding a doctor that has the ability to prescribe medical cannabis for cancer related pain is necessarily easy & seamless. At Script Assist, we can connect you to private doctors that are able to prescribe medical cannabis for cancer-related pain. Each of these doctors is Script Assist enabled, which means that if they prescribe you medical cannabis for cancer related pain then your journey will be totally seamless and stress-free.
Considering Trying Medical Cannabis For Cancer Related Pain? Find a Script Assist Enabled Doctor today.
Download Our Patient App
Connect with a private specialist prescribing via Script Assist for your condition.
Find a Specialist
Quickly match with UK specialists prescribing for your condition.
Check Insurance Coverage
Review doctor profiles, compare fees, and verify insurance coverage.
Get Started
Settled on a doctor? Schedule your app consultation effortlessly.
The Emergence of Medical Cannabis in Pain Management
So, what happened? How did medical cannabis change from being a taboo subject on the fringes of the pain management debate in the UK, to one of the most important topics currently under consideration by healthcare professionals? What was the trigger?
Well, the short answer is that patient demand in both the USA and Canada started to force the legalisation of medical cannabis for cancer-related pain about fifteen years ago, starting in California and then spreading across the rest of the USA and Canada.
By the time medical cannabis was officially legalised in California it was already widely used by cancer-patients. Legalisation was simply the formal acceptance of the reality on the ground, which is that patients preferred to use medical cannabis rather than opioids for the treatment of their cancer related pain.
Once medical cannabis became legal, it could then be researched. This resulted in an explosion of research and data coming out of North America and Israel. The more data and research that was undertaken, the more patients started to use medical cannabis for cancer-related pain, and the more this growing body of evidence began to put pressure on other governments around the world to legalise medical cannabis.
Ready to Find a Script Assist Enabled Doctor Able to Prescribe for Cancer Related Pain? Check Your Eligibility Here
Understanding Medical Cannabis for Cancer-Related Pain: The UK Perspective
Medical cannabis for all conditions, including for cancer-related pain was legalised in the UK in 2019, as part of a global shift towards acceptable and liberalisation. For the first time in decades, this enabled an alternative treatment for those suffering from cancer-related pain and seeking to reduce their dependence on opioids.
The legal framework in the UK means that any specialist pain doctor can prescribe medical cannabis for cancer-related pain. However, because medical cannabis is for the most part not a licensed medication, it is unlikely to be prescribed by the NHS. This means that for most patients, if they want to be prescribed medical cannabis then they must pay for their monthly prescriptions from their own pocket by going through private healthcare.
However, due to medical cannabis being a new medication, patients are unable to simply have a consultation with their existing pain specialist and immediately receive a prescription for medical cannabis. Most specialist doctors, and few that prescribe for cancer treatment, do not still have all the tools and infrastructure required to prescribe medical cannabis to patients with cancer-related pain.
Script Assist is changing the dialogue that medical cannabis patients can have with their doctors, by connecting patients to doctors that are able to prescribe medical cannabis using Script Assist. Script Assist works closely with these doctors to ensure that they have all of the training, support, tools and infrastructure required for them to prescribe medical cannabis for cancer-related pain.
So, not only is medical cannabis for cancer-related pain now legal in the UK, but Script Assist makes it accessible and seamless for all eligible private patients.
Looking for Medical Cannabis For Cancer Related Pain? Find a Script Assist enabled Private Doctor Here
Try Today
Become a patient today
Effortless medical prescriptions from private doctors
Research and Evidence
The volume and quality of research relating to medical cannabis for cancer-related pain has exploded in recent years. This can provide a significant amount of information to both patients seeking an alternative to traditional licensed medications and doctors seeking to provide the best quality care to their patients.
A landmark study by the National Cancer Institute in the USA found that cannabinoids, the active compounds in medical cannabis, significantly reduced pain intensity versus other licensed and more broadly prescribed medications. This study found that cannabinoids resulted in an approximately 30% reduction in pain intensity. The full study can be found here – National Cancer Institute Study.
Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management sought to understand more regarding the potential impact of medical cannabis in palliative care. The findings were that medical cannabis enhanced appetite, reduced anxiety and improved sleep significantly improving the quality of life for cancer patients. The full study can be found here – Journal of Pain and Symptom Management Study.
These studies provide a great basis for understanding the impacts that medical cannabis for cancer-related pain can have on those patients seeking alternative therapies. At Script Assist we help patients that are looking for medical cannabis for cancer-related pain to connect to private independent doctors that are able to prescribe medical cannabis using Script Assist. We ensure an easy and seamless journey for both patient and doctor, month-after-month.
Looking for Medical Cannabis For Cancer Related Pain? Find a Script Assist enabled Private Doctor Here
The Patient Experience of Medical-Cannabis for Cancer Related Pain
Since Script Assist was established in 2019 we’ve helped many patients suffering from cancer-related pain. These stories not only shed light on how medical cannabis can be life changing for those suffering from cancer-related pain but show how Script Assist’s ability to provide seamless care can also change lives.
Ben’s Journey: Quality of Life Transformed
Ben, a 61-year-old male suffering from bowel cancer has been using medical cannabis, prescribed by a Script Assist enabled doctor, since January 2022. During that time, he’s gained two and a half stone in weight and his sleep scores (which he tracks every day using his Script Assist App) have improved dramatically.
“Medical cannabis means that I eat better, sleep better and generally have a more positive outlook on life. I wanted to share my story so that others can take inspiration from it and understand that they have options to traditional therapies.”
Asif’s Journey: Opioid Dependence Beaten
Asif a 68-year-old male cancer sufferer has been using medical cannabis, prescribed by a Script Assist enabled doctor, since September 2021. During that time Asif has managed to totally replace his opioids with medical cannabis, enabling him a totally new lease of life.
“Medical cannabis was the last throw of the dice for me. The side effects from all the opioids I was taking were truly terrible. I was previously with a cannabis clinic before finding Script Assist, but the constant worry about whether my medical cannabis prescription would arrive each month was too stressful. I was prescribed medical cannabis by a Script Assist doctor in September 2021 and I really haven’t looked back since.”
At Script Assist, it’s stories like these that give us the passion to continue driving forwards in our mission to make medical cannabis accessible to all private patients in the UK, particularly for those looking for medical cannabis for cancer related pain.
Looking for a Medicinal Cannabis Prescription? Find a Script Assist enabled Private Doctor Here
Get Started
Moving Forwards with Script Assist
If you believe that medical cannabis for cancer related pain may be appropriate for either yourself or your loved one, then Script Assist can help you connect with private independent doctors in the UK.
These private doctors are all trained by Script Assist and have the ability to seamlessly prescribe you medical cannabis for cancer-related pain, if your eligible and they believe that this is the most appropriate form of treatment.
Get in touch with a Script Assist enabled private doctor today.
