Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

22. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who are registered as patients under the medical cannabis access programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61303/22]

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

The Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP) commenced in November 2021.

The programme was established to enable unlicenced cannabis-based products to be prescribed for patients suffering from:

- Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions.

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

- Severe, refractory epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications.

There are currently 31 patients registered under the MCAP.

I would also like to make the deputy aware of the licensed product Epidyolex.

This is restricted to approved prescribers under the High Tech Arrangements.

Epidyolex is approved for reimbursement at the licensed dosages for the following indications for patients 2 years of age and older

- As adjunctive therapy of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (Epilepsy).

- As adjunctive therapy of seizures associated with Dravet Syndrome (Epilepsy).

- As adjunctive therapy of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). 

To date there are 172 patients reporting with High Tech prescriptions.

Finally, the Ministerial licence scheme commenced in late 2016 under guidelines issued by the CMO

278 Ministerial licences have issued to clinicians under Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

75 individual patients have been treated with prescribed unlicenced cannabis-based products under the scheme.

Currently there are 39 patients using the scheme.