Can VER-01 Change Chronic Pain Care? Pharmacists Could Play a Key Role

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Erin J. Walsh, PharmD, MS, RPh, discussed what the phase 3 findings suggest about VER-01's potential in chronic low back pain and how pharmacists could help support the safe and effective use of standardized cannabinoid therapies if they become available in clinical practice. Walsh emphasized that although the early clinical data are encouraging, continued research will remain essential to better understand long-term safety, effectiveness, and the patient populations most likely to benefit from treatment.

Walsh explained that rigorous clinical trials evaluating pharmaceutical cannabinoids provide an opportunity to move beyond anecdotal experiences and generate the high-quality evidence clinicians rely on when making treatment decisions. Standardized formulations such as VER-01 allow researchers to consistently evaluate dosing, efficacy, adverse effects, and overall patient outcomes—an approach that has historically been difficult with many botanical cannabis products. She noted that ongoing research will help determine where cannabinoid-based therapies fit alongside existing nonopioid and multimodal pain management strategies while continuing to strengthen the scientific understanding of the endocannabinoid system as a therapeutic target.

Looking ahead, Walsh highlighted pharmacists as key members of the multidisciplinary care team if therapies such as VER-01 reach clinical practice. She explained that pharmacists will be well positioned to educate patients about appropriate expectations, dosing, potential adverse effects, drug interactions, and the important differences between FDA-reviewed pharmaceutical cannabinoids and dispensary cannabis products. As cannabinoid therapeutics continue to evolve, Walsh believes pharmacists can help translate emerging clinical evidence into informed patient counseling while supporting individualized treatment decisions. Ultimately, she emphasized that expanding evidence-based cannabinoid treatment options is not about replacing existing therapies, but about providing clinicians and patients with additional scientifically validated tools to improve chronic pain management.