Most medical cannabis prescriptions issued privately in UK
UKPulse Health Desk
The majority of medical cannabis prescriptions in the UK are currently issued through private healthcare providers, despite the law change in 2018 allowing both NHS and private providers to prescribe these products.
- The law was changed in 2018 to allow both the NHS and private providers to prescribe cannabis-based medical products.
- The NHS prescribes medical cannabis for a limited number of conditions, including rare forms of epilepsy and muscle stiffness from multiple sclerosis.
- The vast majority of medical cannabis prescriptions are issued through private healthcare.
Most medical cannabis prescriptions in the UK are being issued by private healthcare providers, according to a recent report. This comes despite a change in law in 2018 by Theresa May's government, which permitted both the NHS and private providers to prescribe cannabis-based medical products.
The NHS currently prescribes medical cannabis for a few specific conditions. These include children and adults with rare, severe forms of epilepsy, and individuals experiencing muscle stiffness and spasms caused by multiple sclerosis (MS).