Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Browne for his question. The provision of the medical cannabis access programme is as a result of recommendations by the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, in its review, Cannabis for Medical Use - A Scientific Review.

The review stated that if the policy decision is to make cannabis available for medical purposes, the HPRA advised it should recognise patient need but be evidence based. It was advised that treatment with cannabis be only permitted under a controlled access programme for the treatment of patients, with the following medical conditions, who have failed to respond to standard treatments: spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and severe, refractory, treatment-resistant epilepsy. Subsequently, the former Minister for Health established an expert reference group to advise on the development of a medical cannabis access programme. This group developed detailed clinical guidelines for the MCAP to be followed by clinicians, which contained inter alia guidance on ingredient combinations recommended for each of the three indications included in the programme.

The programme is a five-year pilot programme. The purpose of the programme is to facilitate access to acceptable cannabis-based products for medical use that are of a standardised quality and meet the requirements outlined in the misuse of drugs regulations 2019. It is an important and positive step forward for those individuals who are suffering serious ill health but for whom conventional treatments are not working. There are currently four products assessed by the HPRA for inclusion in schedule 1 of the regulations and more products are being assessed by the HPRA.

Reimbursement of the products, prescribed by approved medical consultants and supplied through community pharmacies for a specified therapeutic indication in line with schedule 2 of the misuse of drugs regulations 2019 will be on an individual named patient basis, aligned to the patient's eligibility under the community drug schemes. It cannot be assumed that reimbursement approval will be forthcoming on submission of applications. A reimbursement decision will be communicated with the prescribing consultant in writing.

The HSE has indicated that the medicinal cannabis access programme is rapidly progressing and I hope to be in a position to update the Deputy shortly.

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