Cannabidiol prescription in clinical practice: an audit on the first 400 patients in New Zealand

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Table 1. Baseline characteristics

Characteristic	Frequency, n	Proportion, %
Mean age, years (±SD)		51.48 (±19.1)	–
Sex	Male	183	46.1
Sex	Female	214	53.9
Indication for CBD prescription	Non-cancer pain symptoms	181	45.6
	Mental health symptoms	64	16.1
	Neurological symptoms	60	15.1
	Cancer symptoms	92	23.2

Table 2. Baseline and follow-up EQ-5D-5L

Indication for CBD prescription	Domain of EQ-5D-5L	Baseline EQ-5D-5L scores, median (IQR)	Follow-up EQ-5D-5L scores, median (IQR)	**P v alue**
Non-cancer pain symptoms (n = 53)	Mobility	2.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	2.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	0.022
	Self-care	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.046
	Usual activities	3.0 (2.0 to 4.0)	2.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	0.007
	Pain/discomfort	3.5 (3.0 to 4.0)	3.0 (2.0 to 3.0)	<0.001
	Anxiety/depression	2.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	2.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.017
Mental health symptoms (n = 21)	Mobility	1.0 (1.0 to 1.0)	1.0 (1.0 to 1.0)	0.577
	Self-care	1.0 (1.0 to 1.75)	1.0 (1.0 to 1.0)	0.096
	Usual activities	3.0 (2.0 to 3.0)	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.002
	Pain/discomfort	2.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.039
	Anxiety/depression	4.0 (3.0 to 4.0)	2.0 (1.5 to 3.0)	0.002
Neurological symptoms (n = 11)	Mobility	1.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	1.5 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.317
	Self-care	1.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	1.5 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.317
	Usual activities	3.0 (1.75 to 4.0)	2.5 (1.75 to 3.25)	0.194
	Pain/discomfort	3.0 (1.5 to 3.5)	3.0 (1.5 to 3.0)	0.18
	Anxiety/depression	3.0 (2.0 to 3.0)	1.5 (1.0 to 3.0)	0.194
Cancer symptoms (n = 24)	Mobility	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.56
	Self-care	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	1.0 (1.0 to 1.0)	1
	Usual activities	2.0 (1.0 to 2.75)	2.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	1
	Pain/discomfort	3.0 (2.0 to 3.0)	2.0 (1.0 to 2.5)	0.047
	Anxiety/depression	2.0 (1.0 to 3.0)	1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)	0.11

Score of 1 = no problems, 2 = slight problems, 3= moderate problems, 4 = severe problems, 5 = extreme problems. P values are calculated from Wilcoxon rank sum tests. ‘Before’ scores taken at first consultation. ‘After’ scores taken after at least 3 weeks of cannabidiol intake.
CBD = cannabidiol. IQR = interquartile range.

Table 3. Side effect profile of the followed-up patients (n = 253)

Side effect	Frequency, n (%)
Positive effects
Improved sleep	31 (12.3)
Improved appetite	7 (2.8)
Adverse effects
Sedation	5 (2.0)
Vivid dreams	5 (2.0)
Emotional disturbances eg, irritable, depressed, anxious	5 (2.0)
Disorientation	3 (1.2)
Sleeplessness	1 (0.4)
Nausea	1 (0.4)
Constipation	1 (0.4)
Diarrhoea	1 (0.4)
Headaches	1 (0.4)
Oral mucosa irritation	1 (0.4)
Hallucinations	1 (0.4)