GP medical cannabis prescriptions increase across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire

New figures show prescriptions of medical cannabis by GPs have increased significantly across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough over the past year.

Data compiled by the NHS OpenPrescribing service shows 14,580 doses of the medical cannabis drug Sativex were prescribed by GPs in 2022 – up from the 9,720 issued in 2021.

Across England, 2,953 prescriptions were provided by GPs for Sativex and similar drugs in 2022 – up 56% from 1,893 the year before.

Sativex, which is a brand name, is a combination of dronabil and cannabinol.

It is the most widely-prescribed drug made from cannabis and is most commonly used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS).

As well as MS, medicines made from cannabis plants or synthetic cannabis can be used to treat a range of other conditions, such as epilepsy and chronic pain.

These medical drugs are, however, expensive to procure, and some medical professionals disagree on how effective they really are.

These high costs, combined with the limited evidence on their effectiveness, makes the NHS hesitant to prescribe them widely.

The charity Epilepsy Action believes this view needs to be reassessed.

They say access to medicinal cannabis can make a "massive difference" in reducing seizures when other treatments fail to work.

The charity’s senior policy and campaigns officer, Daniel Jennings, said: "While it may not be effective for some people with epilepsy, the impact on quality of life in successful cases is huge."

He said that, while these medications remain difficult to get hold of through the NHS, people with epilepsy face large bills for buying them from private providers.

Almost 90,000 private prescriptions made between 2018 and 2022.

The UK’s largest charity for people affected by multiple sclerosis, the MS Society, is also campaigning to make Sativex more widely available.

It says the medication can have "life-changing effects" for those suffering from the condition.

It is believed to help alleviate stiffness and muscle spasms. It also noted that, even though availability has increased, some health bodies will not currently fund the drug.