Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

668. To ask the Minister for Health if medical cannabis is covered under the medical card scheme once a patient has been given approval for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41771/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Clinicians may submit an application on behalf of their patients to the HSE for reimbursement approval if the patient has a valid medical prescription for medical cannabis and have sourced a cannabis-based product which has been prescribed under a Ministerial license.

The HSE has advised that in the previous situations where it considered reimbursement support appropriate, the following steps were completed:

- The patient’s consultant is satisfied that all therapeutic options have been exhausted and is prepared to accept the responsibility for monitoring the patient’s response to the cannabis product.

- A prescriber applies to the Minister for a Ministerial license and this is granted.

- The consultant completes an Individual Reimbursement Form, setting out the therapeutic benefit for the patient. It is important that this is completed in sufficient detail for therapeutic benefit to be demonstrated.

- The Individual Reimbursement Form is considered by the Medicines Management Programme (MMP).

- On review of the documentation, the MMP makes a recommendation for or against reimbursement support for the patient to the HSE, under the patient's eligibility, and informs the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) of that recommendation.

If approval is given, the PCRS, when authorised to proceed, will make the necessary arrangements to cover the costs involved for the patient.