Improving Awareness and Use of Medical Cannabis for Fibromyalgia

Polypharmacy is problematic in patients with fibromyalgia. The purpose of this project was to increase the number of medical cannabis referrals in a rheumatology clinic for patients with fibromyalgia. By implementing an educational intervention on the benefits of medical cannabis for fibromyalgia, the number of medical cannabis referrals increased. The project's results yielded an increase of 4% to 17% in medical cannabis referrals. This was significant, with a Z-score of 2.3143 and a <i>p</i>-value of .0103. The project concluded that the educational intervention on the benefits of medical cannabis for fibromyalgia increased the number of medical cannabis referrals post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. Future research is needed on other integrative therapies for fibromyalgia to reduce polypharmacy. This work is critical for nurses as we continue to advocate for holistic nursing care of our patients.