Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
858. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health his plans to include, by statutory instrument, persons with severe chronic pain and persons that suffer spasticity from cerebral palsy in accessing medicinal cannabis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13395/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 10 February I published the HPRA’s Report “Cannabis for Medicinal Use – A Scientific Review” and announced my decision to establish an access programme for cannabis-based treatments for the following conditions, spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions, intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes and severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications. Patients accessing cannabis through the programme will be under the care of a medical consultant.
The HPRA Report did not recommend the inclusion of chronic pain and spasticity from cerebral palsy conditions for cannabis-based treatments in the access programme. However, this position will be kept under review, and if better clinical evidence becomes available in future, the inclusion of these conditions can be reconsidered.
