In the Chronic Pain — Clinical Case Study, you will review an example patient presenting with chronic pain, exploring how medicinal cannabis can be thoughtfully integrated into a comprehensive care plan.

By the end, you’ll be equipped to assess complex, multifactorial pain presentations, navigate patient-centred treatment planning, and apply medicinal cannabis principles in a safe, compliant, and clinically effective manner.

You’ll begin by reviewing the patient’s medical history, including prior treatments such as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, current medications, allied health involvement, and lifestyle and social factors, including previous cannabis use. The course unpacks the pathophysiology of chronic pain, including concepts such as central sensitisation and neuroplasticity, providing clinical context for treatment decisions.

You’ll then move through the development of a personalised care approach identifying treatment goals, formulating a medicinal cannabis treatment plan, and incorporating both doctor and pharmacist counselling, including guidance on THC regulations, titration protocols, and dosing strategies. The module also includes ongoing treatment monitoring, patient management, and a clear explanation of the rationale behind medicinal cannabis selection.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this activity pharmacists should be able to:

1. Review chronic pain pathophysiology including inflammatory, neuropathic, and nociplastic pain, differentiating the mechanisms of central and peripheral sensitisation.

2. Explain the role of the endocannabinoid system in pain signalling and inflammation at different levels of the nervous system.

3. Identify the risks, benefits and therapeutic aspects of oral and inhaled medicinal cannabis dosage forms in managing patients with chronic pain.

4. Be able to counsel patients on the differences between THC and CBD formulations in supporting symptoms of chronic pain.

Feedback evaluation forms are provided at the end of each module.