How regular follow-up appointments improve Releaf patient care

Follow-up appointments aren’t just rushed formalities. They’re often where patients see real progress.

This is a chance for your Releaf clinical team to work with you in case you have any concerns, to fine-tune what’s already working (or what might not be), and to explore any new options that may have become available.

Medical cannabis isn’t a blunt tool, and it is certainly not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a nuanced treatment with multiple therapeutic compounds working together. And sometimes, a small change in treatment options can make a big difference.

What are follow-up appointments, and why do they matter?

Follow-up appointments are scheduled consultations with a member of Releaf's world-class clinical team. All patients will have their first follow-up around 30 days after their initial consultation, and then once every 120 days.

Learn more: What to expect in your first six months as a UK medical cannabis patient

These consultations are not a repeat of your initial consult. They are where you have the opportunity to continue the conversation about your health needs, your treatment progress, and your medication preferences.

We touched on this in the introduction, but medical cannabis should never be seen (or promoted) as a "one-and-done" treatment. It’s dynamic, and often prescribed to support more than one symptom at a time. 

Let's take chronic pain as an example.

Patients suffering from chronic pain conditions often also struggle with anxiety and depression, which in turn affects sleep and appetite. Cannabis-based treatment options have been shown to help with the root issue (chronic pain) and also the secondary symptoms (anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and appetite suppression). 

It is a holistic approach, but to be truly effective, one that depends on open communication and ongoing assessment.

How do follow-ups support long-term success?

Just because you respond well to a new treatment option straight off the bat does not mean that it will continue to be as effective long-term, and vice versa. Your symptoms might shift, your body might respond differently over time, or your lifestyle might change.

Follow-up appointments allow your Releaf clinical team to work with you, and to modify your treatment plan if needed.

What does that look like in the real world?

Well, for some patients, that may mean switching from one cultivar to another, or from a medical cannabis flower option over to medical cannabis oil (or a combo of both). For others, it may mean fine-tuning the dosage or timing of medication. 

And for some, it may simply mean more time spent discussing lifestyle changes that can complement their treatment plan.

Why is medical cannabis a treatment that evolves over time?

Almost all medical cannabis treatment plans are not built around a single compound or a single effect. While a small number of patients are prescribed a product containing isolated THC or CBD, the overwhelming majority of are prescribed full-spectrum options that contain a range of active therapeutic compounds.

These include cannabinoids like THC and CBD, as well as terpenes - the aromatic compounds that influence how the treatment works and how it feels. And because these compounds can and do help with multiple symptoms at the same time, small adjustments can often lead to surprisingly big improvements.

But, this type of personalised, evolving treatment is still relatively new in mainstream UK healthcare...

For more than a century, chronic pain has usually been managed with conventional pharmaceutical options - mostly opioids. While they do offer short-term relief, they rarely treat the root cause of the issue or the secondary symptoms - and often carry serious long-term risks like dependence, increased mental health concerns, and on occasion, even overdose.

But with the rise of personalised medicine and a greater understanding of the complexity of chronic pain (and many other health concerns that respond to medical cannabis), there is hope on the horizon.

Opioid-related deaths in the UK have increased nearly fivefold since 1993, rising from 8.4 deaths per million people to 39.7 per million by 2020. And while NHS England has reduced the number of opioid prescriptions by nearly half a million in just four years, over 5.2 million were still issued in 2022 alone.

Does the fact that medical cannabis became a legal treatment option a few years before this drop in opioid prescriptions suggest a correlation?

There simply isn't enough data (at this point) to definitively say that medical cannabis legality in the UK has had a direct impact on the number of opioid prescriptions. That said, our "Say No To Pain Report" found that one in three patients felt they were prescribed strong painkillers without enough conversation about alternatives.

It’s exactly this kind of gap in care that we aim to eliminate with our scheduled follow-up appointments.

Final thoughts

Follow-up appointments with your Releaf clinical team are anything but a formality or a casual check-in. 

They're a crucial step in your treatment plan with Releaf and a way for us to ensure that you are always receiving the very best care and treatment options. Whether through pain management, mental health support, or overall wellness, we will always put your care and safety before all else.

If you’re due for a follow-up, or have any questions about your current treatment - simply log in to your Releaf Patient Dashboard or reach out to our Patient Support Team. We’re here to help, every step of the way.