UK Government Announces Improved Patient Access to Medical Cannabis

In a press release published on 2 March 2020, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that licensed wholesalers will now be able to import larger quantities of cannabis-based products and hold supplies for future use by patients with prescriptions.

The change in legislation will mean that patients with multiple sclerosis and rare, severe forms of epilepsy “will be able to access their prescribed medicines quicker”, The UK government has announced said.

Previously, medical cannabis could not be imported in bulk to be held as reserve stock — only the amounts that were required for individual prescriptions could be imported. This had led to delays in patients receiving their medicine because specialist importers were required to notify the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) at least 28 days before the date of any intended import. Only the amount written on the prescription could be imported.

Doctors on the specialist register, who are able to prescribe medical cannabis, would have to notify the MHRA of likely requirements before any drugs are imported, and then any prescriptions they write, could be drawn from that supply.

In its press release, the DHSC that export restrictions had also contributed to delays, noting that “in Canada, an export certificate can take four to eight weeks”.

In a parliamentary written answer published on 4 February 2020, pharmacy minister Jo Churchill said that the government was ‘aware that some wholesalers and pharmacies have reported challenges” around importing medical cannabis, and added that discussions were underway on how to mitigate delays: including “exploring mechanisms to allow licensed wholesalers to hold a small reserve stock”.

 

Medical Cannabis in the UK

Most cannabis medicines used in the UK are imported. The red tape involved with getting them into the country means it can take extended periods before they wind up in the hands of patients. This isn’t just because of the import side of things, but also due to export restrictions in the country of origin. An example is Canada, where an export certificate can take 1 – 2 months.

Specialist doctors in the UK can prescribe medical cannabis products to patients who suffer from rare forms of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. However, recommendations published by NICE in November indicate that cannabis products may also be considered for other health conditions.

Despite calls for more research, only a small number of cannabis-based medications are licensed in the UK. These include Epidyolex, which has been shown to dramatically reduce seizures in treatment-resistant epilepsy; Sativex, used as a treatment for multiple sclerosis; and Nabilone, which can help with chemotherapy-induced nausea.

While access to some forms of medical cannabis has been and will continue to be challenging in the UK, access to cannabidiol (CBD) is much easier as it is classified as a “novel food” where medical claims aren’t made and are widely available. However, due to quality issues in the rapidly growing local CBD industry, it will be reined by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to some degree.