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Irish medicinal cannabis patients will have costs paid upfront Steven Heaney Irish Examiner Monday 19 Jul 2021 Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed the move this afternoon. Cork campaigner Vera Twomey said she was "truly delighted" with the announcement. Previously, eligible patients who obtained their medicines from the Netherlands had to pay their Dutch pharmacy directly — and travel to obtain it — before applying to the HSE for a cost refund. Mr Donnelly said this situation placed a significant financial burden on families in need of such medication. Since Covid-19 travel restrictions were introduced in April 2020, the Department of Health commenced a scheme to collect the prescribed products from the Netherlands for delivery directly to patients’ homes. In December, Mr Donnelly said this would continue post-pandemic. "I am delighted that the HSE and Transvaal Apotheek in the Netherlands are implementing a new process which will give peace of mind to the 17 patients and their families who until now have been using the refund process," Mr Donnelly said today. At present, only patients suffering from three stated conditions can avail of the ministerial license for cannabis-based medicines. They are: Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions whilst under expert medical supervision; Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes while under expert medical supervision; Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications whilst under expert medical supervision. Mr Donnelly said the 17 patients and families directly affected by the change will be contacted by the HSE directly in due course. Ms Twomey, whose daughter Ava is severely epileptic but has been almost seizure-free since starting on medicinal cannabis, said she was thrilled not just for her family, but for all the families whose lives will benefit from the change. "Finally, our medication is going to be funded upfront. “We are just so happy for all the other patients too," she said. “It's been a tremendously difficult 16 months, firstly regarding trying to secure the delivery of Ava’s medication, and secondly to arrange the funding for it." Ms Twomey said Mr Donnelly had contacted her earlier this afternoon, ahead of the HSE's announcement. “We are very grateful for a Minister for Health who has a positive perspective around the issue of medical cannabis in this country, which isn’t something we had previously." Ms Twomey also thanked Taoiseach Micheál Martin for his "consistent" support to her and her family over the last year and a half. “There’s no way to properly explain what a relief this is," she said. "The majority of people who are prescribed Bedrocan medication are either very sick people themselves, or they are the parents of children with very difficult conditions. "Aside from the financial burden, this is going to help the people that need this medication, and it’s also hopefully going to make it accessible to other people also," she added. https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40340753.html
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