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<p>Earlier this year the Chief Medical Adviser to the United Kingdom Government, Professor
Dame Sally Davies, conducted a review in which she examined evidence of the medicinal
benefit of cannabis based products. She found conclusive evidence of the therapeutic
benefit of cannabis based medicinal products for certain medical conditions and reasonable
evidence of therapeutic benefit in several other medical conditions. That review did
not specifically address the safety and efficacy of cannabis oil in the palliative
care of pancreatic cancer patients who have a history of strokes.</p><p> </p><p>As
a result of the Chief Medical Adviser’s advice, and that of the Advisory Council on
the Misuse of Drugs, the Home Office has laid legislation that means that, subject
to Parliament, from 1 November certain cannabis-based products, that meet conditions
related to the quality of their manufacture and supply routes, can be prescribed by
doctors on the specialist register of the General Medical Council.</p><p> </p><p>The
regulations do not limit the types of conditions that can be considered for treatment
and specialist doctors will no longer need to seek approval from an expert panel in
order for patients to access the medicines. Prescription of unlicensed cannabis-based
products for medicinal use will fall within existing legal requirements and National
Health Service governance arrangements for ‘special’ medicines.</p><p> </p><p>There
are a number of pieces of work in train to support clinicians in making prescribing
decisions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will produce clinical
guidance by October 2019. In the meantime, NHS England has commissioned the British
Paediatric Neurology Association and the Royal College of Physicians to provide interim
clinical advice to specialist doctors ahead of the regulations coming into force.</p>
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