Home > Dáil Éireann debate. Written answer 646 - Cannabis for medicinal use [3367/23].

[Oireachtas] Dáil Éireann debate. Written answer 646 - Cannabis for medicinal use [3367/23]. (24 Jan 2023)

External website: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023...


646. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a consultant refuses to prescribe medical cannabis for a patient when they are not familiar with the Medical Cannabis Access Programme, what recourse a patient has in such circumstances to gain access to medical cannabis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3367/23] 

Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health: Clinicians have two routes to access cannabis-based products for their patients. 

The Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP): This is a 5-year pilot programme restricted to prescribing of cannabis-based products by medical consultants, for patients with certain medical conditions who have exhausted all other available medical treatment options. Those conditions are:

- Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis;

- Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy;

- Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy. 

For more information relating to the MCAP, including FAQs, please see the Department of Health’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/90ece9-medical-cannabis-access-programme/ 

The operation of the MCAP is the responsibility of the HSE, and any queries in relation to applications should be addressed to the HSE at the email address: pharmacy.response@hse.ie 

Ministerial Licence under Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016: For medical indications not included in the MCAP, doctors may continue to utilise the Ministerial Licensing route to prescribe cannabis-based products for their patients, should they wish to do so. In line with the Chief Medical Officer's advice, the granting of a licence for cannabis-based products for medical purposes must be premised on an appropriate application being submitted to the Department of Health, which is endorsed by a consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient and who is prepared to monitor the effects of the treatment over time. This information can be found at the following links: 

www.gov.ie/en/publication/1a5c4e-applying-to-the-minister-for-health-for-a-medical-cannabis-licence/

www.gov.ie/en/publication/e35cb4-ministerial-licence-application-process/ 

It is important to note that the decision to prescribe or not prescribe any treatment, including cannabis-based treatment, for an individual patient is strictly a decision for the treating clinician, in consultation with their patient. The Minister for Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process and cannot interfere in the clinical decisions of a medical practitioner.

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