Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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44. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which the compassionate access programme to medicinal cannabis will help persons that can access medicinal cannabis in other European jurisdictions but not currently here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40920/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In February, I published the Health Products Regulatory Authority’s (HPRA) report ‘Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review’. On foot of the HPRA’s conclusions I announced that I would establish a cannabis for medical use access programme, for patients under the care of a consultant, for the following medical conditions:

- spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies;

- intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes;

- severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy.

An expert group, chaired by Dr Mairín Ryan from HIQA was established in March to develop the operational, clinical and practice guidelines for this access programme.

The Expert Group conducted a targeted consultation on the draft guidelines and is due to finalise these guidelines shortly. Officials in my Department are working on secondary legislation to underpin the programme and on the logistics of sourcing suitable cannabis-based product supplies for the Irish market place.

Under the Cannabis Access Programme it will be the decision of a clinician, in consultation with their patient and the patient’s carers, as to the appropriate course of treatment for that patient. The Cannabis Access Programme is intended for patients who are resident in Ireland and who are under the care of an Irish-based consultant. However, where patients move from the care of a clinician in one jurisdiction, e.g. abroad, to that of another clinician in another jurisdiction, e.g. in Ireland, clinical treatment plans for such patients should be determined and directed between clinicians through normal healthcare professional communication pathways, regardless of where those clinicians are located. The sharing of such clinical information could help to ensure the treating consultant in Ireland has access to relevant professionally documented clinical and medication history for the patient they are treating and could assist in that consultant’s clinical decision making process.

Any consultant requiring information or clarification in relation to the Cannabis Access Programme, he or she should contact my Department directly.