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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Patients denied cannabis spray Emily Heward Halifax Evening Courier Thursday 05 Aug 2010 NHS Calderdale has confirmed the oral spray Sativex will not be routinely funded for the area's estimated 300 sufferers. The newly-licensed medicine contains cannabinoids, extracted from cannabis plants, which can help to relieve painful muscle sp ADVERTISEMENT asms. There are fears that blocking its use could criminalise patients, who may resort to taking the class B drug instead. MS sufferer Richard Schofield, from Halifax, said: "Some people say smoking it or having it in a cake does alleviate their problems and I'm quite sure there would be people who would go ahead with it." Mr Schofield, who said he is satisfied with the medication he is prescribed, added: "For me personally, I don't think Sativex would be of any benefit at the moment, but I'm sure for some people it may well be an answer." Mr Schofield's wife Liz, a support officer at the Halifax branch of the MS Society, said: "Living with MS is difficult and the symptoms can be very debilitating - anything that helps people manage their condition is good news and it should be made available if there is a clinical need." The spray has been approved by the Department of Health and was licensed for the first time in the UK in June by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The medicine costs £125 for a 10ml vial - around £11 per patient each day - and the decision to fund it will be down to individual primary care trusts. NHS Calderdale said it had rejected the drug on advice from the Yorkshire and the Humber Specialised Commissioning Group. A spokesman for the group said: "We agreed that Sativex does not provide enough benefit to patients to justify its high cost. We also thought that this medicine had not been tested over a long enough time to be able to tell if it will work safely in people with multiple sclerosis, who often need treatment for many months or years." Laura Weir, head of policy and campaigns at the MS Society, said: "It is extremely unfortunate that Yorkshire and Humber Specialised Commissioning Group have advised PCTs to not fund Sativex. "People with MS urgently need access to effective treatments and therapies - this decision is yet another example of the continuing postcode lottery that people with MS face." http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/Patients-denied-cannabis-spray.6458225.jp
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