Cannabis: Prescriptions

(asked on 8th July 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prescriptions for cannabis have been issued each year since 2018 in England


Answered by
Lord Kamall Portrait
Lord Kamall
This question was answered on 22nd July 2022

The following table shows the number of items for licensed and unlicensed cannabis-based medicines prescribed on a National Health Service prescription, dispensed in the community and submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority in England between January 2018 and April 2022, the latest data available. We are unable to provide data on NHS prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines, due to the number of items attributed to fewer than five patients which could identify individuals.

NHS prescription items

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022 January to April

Licensed cannabis-based medicines

2,591

2,636

2,681

2,981

1,171

The following table shows the number of items for licensed and unlicensed cannabis-based medicines prescribed on a private prescription, dispensed in the community and submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority between January 2018 and April 2022, the latest data available. Data on unlicensed prescriptions in 2018 is held for November and December only and January in 2022.

Private prescription items dispensed

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Licensed cannabis-based medicines

24

35

29

28

17

Unlicensed cannabis-based medicines

0

278

4,469

42,393

385

Data licensed cannabis-based medicines prescribed in secondary care since 2018 is not collected centrally.

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