Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 July 2018
355. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health to set out the number of licences granted under the compassionate access programme for medical cannabis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31737/18]
View answerUnder the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 – 2016, it is open to the Minister for Health to consider granting a licence for access to medical cannabis-based preparations for named patients, where this course of treatment has been endorsed by the consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient and who is prepared to monitor the effects of the treatment over time. To date, thirteen licences have been issued for the treatment of seven separate individual patients via the Ministerial licence application route.
Separate to the Ministerial licence scheme, on foot of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) report ‘Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review’, I announced my intention to establish a ‘Cannabis for Medical Use Access Programme’ to facilitate access to cannabis-based products, that are not authorised as medicines but are of a standardised quality and meet an acceptable level of quality assurance. The programme will provide access to cannabis treatments for patients who are under the care of a medical consultant, for the following medical conditions which have failed to respond to standard treatments: spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis; intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy; severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy.
An Expert Group has drawn up clinical guidance for healthcare professionals treating patients through the Access Programme. The guidelines will be published shortly on the Department’s website.
The Access Programme is not yet operational, as further work is required in relation to certain elements, in particular the availability of appropriate quality-approved medical cannabis products that are affordable to patients. This is a critical aspect in establishing the access programme. The Department is working intensively on finding solutions to the supply of appropriate products for Irish patients. Drafting of secondary legislation to underpin the access programme will be finalised once appropriate cannabis product supplies have been established.
In the meantime, prescribing of cannabis for medical treatment by medical consultants, for their individual patients is being facilitated via the Ministerial licence application route.
