Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 66
66
Rejected
Paragraph: 233
Widen NHS accessibility of unlicensed cannabis-based medicinal products before Parliament ends.
Recommendation
Pending the outcome of the ACMD’s review, we recommend that the Government widens the accessibility of unlicensed CBPMs on the NHS before the end of this Parliament.
Government Response Summary
The government explicitly rejects the recommendation to widen accessibility of unlicensed CBPMs, stating it is a clinical decision and that more evidence is needed to support routine prescribing. They encourage manufacturers to conduct research and are working to establish clinical trials.
Paragraph Reference:
233
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government does not accept this recommendation. Whether to prescribe medicinal cannabis, or any other drug, is a clinical decision and not a matter for Government policy. Licensed cannabis-based medicines are routinely available and funded on the NHS. However, for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines, clinical guidelines from the NICE demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions. Until that evidence base is built, clinicians will remain reticent to prescribe and no decision can be made by the NHS on routine funding. Clinicians can apply for NHS funding in exceptional clinical circumstances, these requests are assessed by an independent panel made up of doctors, nurses, public health experts, pharmacists, NHS England representatives and lay members. The Government remains committed to taking an evidence-based approach to unlicensed cannabis-based medicines. That is why we continue to encourage manufacturers of unlicensed products to conduct research – our medicines regulator and the National Institute for Health and Care Research can offer them scientific and research advice if they do. Furthermore, we are working with regulatory, research and NHS partners to establish clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of these products.