The NHS is failing to prescribe hashish flower treatment to any sufferers, together with these with circumstances comparable to epilepsy, persistent ache, and most cancers, in line with new analysis from the Hashish Business Council (CIC).
The CIC requested 152 NHS Basis Trusts in England what number of people they’d prescribed hashish flos (flower) to between 2019 and 2023. Not one NHS Belief replied to say they’d ever prescribed hashish flower to sufferers throughout this timeframe.
Simply 27% of the NHS Basis Trusts replied to say that they prescribed licensed hashish medicines – comparable to Epidyolex and Sativex – to their sufferers. The rest both mentioned they didn’t (38%), or didn’t reply (35%).
The FoI request additionally discovered that simply 1,104 sufferers in 2023 had been prescribed licensed hashish medicines, a rise of simply 127 sufferers in comparison with 2021. The variety of kids prescribed licensed hashish medicines fell throughout this timeframe.
Hashish Business Council Co-Chairs Dr Callie Seaman and Jamie Bartley commented:
“These stunning findings from the Hashish Business Council present how the NHS is failing sufferers in determined want. When prescription hashish was legalised six years in the past, this was not the scenario that sufferers had been promised or anticipated.
“It’s time for the NHS to take motion to broaden public funding of hashish medicines. A transparent pathway ought to be established for sufferers to entry prescriptions by way of the NHS, whereas non-public prescriptions is also reimbursed by the general public purse.”
The findings come regardless of prescription hashish being legalised in 2018 for treating any medical situation. Prescription hashish medicines will be essential for sufferers, significantly these with uncommon or persistent circumstances that different medicines can’t handle successfully.
There are an estimated 45,000 sufferers prescribed medical hashish within the UK non-public sector, which is considerably decrease than in nations comparable to Germany and Australia. Because of the challenges accessing prescription hashish, some grownup sufferers resort to utilizing addictive opioid painkillers or anti-depressants, or accessing hashish off the illicit marketplace for medicinal causes.
The CIC is asking on the NHS to ascertain a transparent and accessible pathway for sufferers to entry medical hashish from NHS consultations, and to begin routinely reimbursing non-public prescriptions.
