Written answers

Thursday, 9 September 2021

Department of Health

Cannabis for Medicinal Use

Photo of Ruairi Ó MurchúRuairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

965. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the payment system to be implemented further to his recent statement on the refund system for eligible patients who obtain their prescribed cannabis-based products from the Netherlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41438/21]

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

The HSE have advised that a patient who has a valid medical prescription for medical cannabis, whose treating clinician holds a Ministerial licence under the Misuse of Drugs Act and who has sourced a cannabis-based product, may submit an application to the HSE Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit in the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) for reimbursement.

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 has successfully applied to the Minister for a Ministerial license.

- 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 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.

The contact details for the CPU as follows:

Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit,

HSE, Primary Care Reimbursement Service,

Exit 5, M50,

Finglas,

Dublin 11.

D11XKF3

Phone No: 01 8915725

Fax No: 01 8915757

Email Address: CPU@hse.ie

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.