Appointments and monitoring
How to prepare for a medical cannabis follow-up appointment
A useful follow-up is more than reporting whether treatment was “good” or “bad”. A short, honest record can help the clinical team review benefits, adverse effects and practical problems with you.
What the review is for
NICE says the efficacy and safety of cannabis-based medicinal products should be monitored and evaluated. It also says monitoring arrangements should cover effectiveness, adverse reactions, communication and when treatment might be stopped. Your prescriber decides the clinical questions and any treatment changes; your role is to describe what has actually happened as clearly as you can.
Bring a simple before-and-after picture
You do not need a perfect daily diary. Before the appointment, note a few concrete examples covering the period since the last review:
- Which symptoms or daily activities you hoped treatment would help.
- What improved, what did not change and what became harder.
- Whether any benefit lasted long enough to matter in ordinary life.
- Sleep, concentration, mood, appetite or function changes relevant to you.
- Any days treatment was missed, used differently from the label or difficult to follow—and why.
Avoid trying to make the result sound better or worse. Uncertainty is useful information too.
Describe side effects precisely
The NHS lists possible effects including dizziness, tiredness, weakness, nausea, diarrhoea, mood or behavioural changes, feeling high, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. The exact risks depend on the medicine and the person. Record what happened, when it began, how long it lasted, whether it affected driving or work, and what other medicines or substances were involved.
Report suspected side effects to the medical team. Patients can also use the MHRA Yellow Card scheme; a Yellow Card report does not replace seeking medical care.
Do not save urgent concerns for a routine review
If you are having suicidal thoughts or feel unable to keep yourself safe, seek urgent help rather than waiting for the appointment.
Include practical treatment problems
- Confusing labels, instructions, product names or measuring devices.
- Pharmacy delays, unavailable items or interruptions in supply.
- Storage, travel, work or caring responsibilities affecting use.
- Cost pressure or appointment and repeat-prescription timing.
- New prescribed, over-the-counter or complementary medicines.
- Questions about driving, alcohol, tobacco or interactions.
Do not conceal affordability or adherence problems. They may materially affect what the clinician considers safe and workable.
Questions worth taking into the room
- What outcome are we using to judge whether this treatment is helping?
- Which effects should I monitor before the next review?
- Which side effects need urgent contact and which can wait?
- Could any of my other medicines or substances interact with this treatment?
- What should I do if supply is delayed or the prescribed product is unavailable?
- Who should I contact between appointments, and how quickly should I expect a response?
The GMC describes shared decision making as an exchange of relevant information between clinician and patient. It is reasonable to ask for explanations in a form you can understand and retain.
What to have available
- Your current prescription or dispensing labels.
- An up-to-date list of medicines and supplements.
- Your short notes on benefits, problems and side effects.
- Clinic or pharmacy messages relevant to supply or instructions.
- Your most important questions, placed first in case time is limited.
Private planning tool
Turn your notes into a focused appointment plan.
The tool works in the current browser tab. GreenGuruAI does not receive your answers, and you can print or save the finished plan yourself.