Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 November 2018
131. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the position regarding liability implications for consultants in both public and private practice who prescribe medicinal cannabis; and his plans to change same. [46039/18]
View answerUnder existing arrangements consultants in public hospitals are covered by the Clinical Indemnity Scheme (CIS) in respect of the prescription of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) based products for a patient under their care provided that the consultant is permitted to do so under a licence granted by the Minister for Health under the Misuse of Drugs Acts and where he/she has exhausted all other treatment options for that patient.
In relation to private consultants the CIS covers the excess over the indemnity ceilings (or Caps) set by the State for private indemnifiers of consultants working in private practice settings. Effectively, the private indemnifier’s liability in respect of any claim is capped at the relevant indemnity ceiling and the State assumes responsibility for any amount in excess of the cap. Consultants in private hospitals should check with their Medical Defence Organisations to establish that such organisations will cover them up to the Caps limit in cases where they are considering prescribing THC-based medicines for a patient, under licence from the Minister and where he/she has exhausted all other treatment options for that patient.
There are no plans to change these arrangements.
