Question reference: S6W-05216
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 11 January 2022
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 January 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported confirmation by the UK Minister for Health and Social Care that any funding for cannabis-based products through NHS prescriptions is a matter for devolved institutions, what financial support it will make available to fund cannabis-based medication for children currently relying on private prescriptions for their treatment-resistant epilepsy, and what consideration has been given to creating an emergency fund for this purpose.
Answer
The scheduling of Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs) under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is a function reserved to the UK Government and the Scottish Government has no powers to alter its status.
Having considered possible options for funding private prescriptions for CBPMs for children in Scotland with uncontrolled epilepsy, the Scottish Government continues to consider that it would be inappropriate for the costs associated with a private prescription to be paid by the NHS, as this would have the effect of re-directing public funding from the NHS care to private care.
Despite the change under relevant UK legislation in 2018, many doctors remain concerned about the limited evidence on the safety and efficacy of those medicines which are unlicensed. The Scottish Government therefore considers that randomised controlled clinical trials are necessary as part of the medicine licensing process in order to demonstrate a product’s safety, quality and efficacy. This is why we are committed to working with NHS England and the National Institute for Health Research to build a clearer evidence base in order to enable clinicians to have the assurances they need to consider prescribing these products on the NHS.