Written questions, answers and statements

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

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Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 8273, tabled on 9 October 2024

Question

Mr Paul Foster
Labour
South Ribble
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients under the age of 18 are in receipt of an NHS funded cannabis-based (a) prescription and (b) medication.

Answer

Andrew Gwynne
Labour
Gorton and Denton
Commons

Answered on

14 October 2024

The NHS Business Services Authority does not hold the information in the form requested as it is only a legal requirement for prescriptions to state the age for children under 12 years.

Between November 2018 and July 2024, 21,299 items of licensed cannabis-based medicines, namely Nabilone, Sativex and Epidyolex, were dispensed in the community in England against a National Health Service prescription.

Data on unlicensed cannabis-based medicines is withheld in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, due to the number of items attributed to fewer than five patients and enhanced risk of release of patient identifiable information.

Answered by

Department of Health and Social Care
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