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9
WQ.9/2018
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 16TH JANUARY 2018
Question
Will the Minister provide a list of approved medicinal cannabis products that he will make available in Jersey; and will he also confirm that existing products such as Sativex', and any new products, will be made available on free prescription where prescribed by a G.P. or from the General Hospital, and if not, why not?
Answer
Preliminary discussions with two potential suppliers of cannabis-based products produced to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards have recently concluded. It is probable that one or both product ranges will be reclassified under Misuse of Drugs Legislation to enable the products to be prescribed by a hospital specialist and supplied from the hospital pharmacy. Any such supply from the hospital pharmacy against a hospital prescription would be free of charge.
Initially the most likely product ranges to be reclassified are the Bedrocan range produced in Holland and Tilray oral solutions produced by the Canadian company Tilray.
However it is possible that other GMP-produced products will be reclassified as they become available and any issue around the logistics of importing them into Jersey are resolved.
During the process of considering making unlicensed cannabis-based products available for medicinal use, the position of Sativex was also reviewed. Advice received from the Misuse of Drugs Advisory Council (MDAC) was that before prescribing an unlicensed cannabis-based product, clinicians should first give consideration to prescribing a licensed medicinal product even if the intention was to use that medicine "off label". Sativex is a medicinal product licensed only for use to improve symptoms in patients with spasticity associated with Multiple Sclerosis. Use for any other reason would be considered off-label use.
As a consequence, Sativex will be made available free of charge when prescribed by a hospital specialist and supplied from the hospital pharmacy.