Licensed cannabis-based medicines, that have been proved effective in clinical trials and judged cost-effective by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), are routinely available on the National Health Service, including for people aged over two years old with certain types of epilepsy. However, clinical guidelines from NICE demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines.<\/p>
We continue to call on manufacturers to conduct research to prove if their products are safe and effective and we are working with regulatory, research and NHS partners to establish clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of these products.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4044", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Stephenson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pendle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Stephenson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-22T14:04:14.56Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Cannabis: Medical Treatments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing children to be issued medical cannabis prescriptions on the NHS.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4995", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Dyke"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Somerton and Frome"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Dyke"} ], "uin" : "9974"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1240751", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1240751/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We continue to work hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the evidence base for other cannabis-based medicines, and to implement the recommendations of NHS England and NHS Improvement\u2019s review on barriers to accessing unlicensed cannabis based medicinal products. This includes the design of clinical trials and the establishment of a new independent specialist clinical network to provide impartial evidence-based advice to clinicians treating patients with refractory epilepsy.<\/p>
Two licensed cannabis-based medicines: Sativex \u2013 for the treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients; and Epidyolex \u2013 for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy, have recently been made available for prescribing on the National Health Service for patients where clinically appropriate. This follows clear demonstrated evidence of their safety, clinical and cost effectiveness. Further evidence is required to support the routine use of unlicensed cannabis-based products in the NHS.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4380", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Churchill"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bury St Edmunds"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Churchill"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-10-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-10-23T08:16:58.73Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-10-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Cannabis: Medical Treatments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to medicinal cannabis.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4439", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alberto Costa"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Leicestershire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alberto Costa"} ], "uin" : "99651"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1174251", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1174251/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
On 1 November 2018, the law was changed to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council\u2019s (GMC) Specialist Register to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interests of patients. The law does not restrict the medical conditions for which these products may be used, and the decision of whether to prescribe is ultimately one for clinicians to make on a case by case basis.<\/p>
<\/p>
Two reviews have taken place since this change in the law:<\/p>
<\/p>
- On 8 August 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement published its review into barriers to accessing cannabis-based products for medicinal use on NHS prescription which is available at the following link:<\/p>
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/barriers-to-accessing-cannabis-based-products-for-medicinal-use-on-nhs-prescription/<\/a><\/p> - On 11 November 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following a review of the available evidence, published guidance on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products which is available at the following link:<\/p> https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng144<\/a><\/p> This demonstrates a clear need for more evidence to support prescribing and funding decisions of cannabis-based medicines for intractable nausea and vomiting; chronic pain; spasticity; and severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.<\/p> We continue to work hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the evidence base for cannabis-based medicines and to implement the recommendations of NHS England and NHS Improvement\u2019s review.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4380", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Churchill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bury St Edmunds"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Churchill"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-02-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "9664"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-02-05T13:52:28.637Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Cannabis: Medical Treatments"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to review his policy on the prescribing of medicinal cannabis.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4086", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alun Cairns"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vale of Glamorgan"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alun Cairns"}
], "uin" : "9665"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1174248", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1174248/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " On 1 November 2018, the law was changed to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council\u2019s (GMC) Specialist Register to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interests of patients. The law does not restrict the medical conditions for which these products may be used, and the decision of whether to prescribe is ultimately one for clinicians to make on a case by case basis.<\/p> <\/p> Two reviews have taken place since this change in the law:<\/p> <\/p> - On 8 August 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement published its review into barriers to accessing cannabis-based products for medicinal use on NHS prescription which is available at the following link:<\/p>