Cannabis News
Medical Cannabis NHS Prescriptions: Introduced at a ‘Net-Zero Cost’
In the UK, researchers are hoping to demonstrate how medical cannabis NHS prescriptions could be introduced at a “net-zero” cost.
In an effort to demonstrate the cost benefits of making cannabis more widely available on the NHS, the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) hope to fund a major health economic study.
As part of its research sub-group, the CIC will develop a full health economic analysis of medical cannabis and chronic pain, in order to prove the cost-effectiveness of introducing cannabis to the NHS.
The costs, resource use, and utility of prescribing medical cannabis to treat chronic pain will be analyzed using an early economic modelling tool.
Under different scientific assumptions, the tool is expected to demonstrate the viability of prescribing cannabis on the NHS.
During a one-year period, the study, led by the University of York, will compare the costs of medical cannabis with those of standard chronic pain treatments.
During the CIC annual general meeting on Thursday 15 September, Dr. Anne Katrin Schlag, head of research at Drug Science and chair of the research sub-group, provided an update on the work of the research group.
To get the study underway as soon as possible, part of the funding is still needed.
Medical Cannabis NHS Prescriptions: "Hugely Important"
Professor Mike Barnes, chair of the CIC, said that this research would be crucial to wider access to medical cannabis in the NHS.
“The health economic study will be hugely important,” he stated.
“We need to show that cannabis can be introduced to the NHS at net-zero cost, which I think will be the case, however, we still need to prove it. I don’t want to pre-judge the result, but the health economic paper will hopefully achieve this.”
CIC research group commissions and undertakes independent scientific research to expand knowledge and improve patient access to medicinal cannabis.
Further papers demonstrating the efficacy of medical cannabis in pain, cancer, and endometriosis are expected to be published in the coming weeks.
Currently, under peer review, a white paper highlighting the value of real-world evidence will be published early in October.
In order to overcome the current barriers to access to medicinal cannabis, it will include 10 recommendations that are hoped will help policymakers understand the value of real-world evidence.
In another study, Jamie Bartley of Unyte Hemp is hoping to reveal further insight into the potential environmental impact of the plant, and the cannabis industry, by developing a two-year project studying carbon sequestration and hemp.
