Calls for urgent action to avert disruption of cannabis-based medicinal products due to Brexit

The Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) has urged the authorities to take quick steps for a broad and customised range of CBMPs that can be rapidly and cost effectively imported into, or developed and produced within the UK to avert the scarcity of such medicines due to Brexit.

For a short term solution to help families that could potentially face a disruption in the vital supply of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs), their children need, the CMS has adviced the patients to seek alternative legal routes to obtaining CBMPs within the UK.

“Currently, this is only possible through private practises, however, recent reductions in price mean that this is now more affordable than ever. Mechanisms exist to decrease the financial burden on families where necessary,” it said.

Earlier, there were media reports highlighting over 40 patients who have been prescribed certain CBMPs in the UK but can only obtain their prescription through the Transvaal Pharmacy, which is based in the Netherlands. However, European pharmacies are no longer obliged to honour UK prescriptions during the post Brexit transition period.

The CMC has assured all stakeholders that it will continue to work constructively with the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) to provide full transparency on what is currently available.

“Supply issues and discontinuations of medicines have always been a difficult challenge for the medical community to deal with, especially when dealing with vulnerable patients who are stabilised on a particular medicine,” said Dr Andy Yates, pharmacy lead for CMC.

“This situation is exacerbated when you are dealing with a complex medicine such as CBMPs. Working with our members, we have been able to provide the DH with a list of CBMPs that may be suitable for substitution, but as the article points out they do have differences in composition and would therefore require careful medical management if a solution to supplying Transvaal products cannot be found”.