Medical cannabis prescriptions are on the rise in Hampshire as charities urge for greater access

The findings come as charities urge for greater access to medical cannabis for those suffering from neurological and autoimmune conditions.

Medicines made from cannabis plants or synthetic cannabis can be used to treat a range of conditions – such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and chronic pain.

However, they are expensive to procure, and some medical professionals disagree on how effective they are.

The most widely-prescribed drug made from cannabis is a combination of dronabil and cannabinol, which is used to treat MS, and is commonly referred to by its brand name Sativex.

Figures from the NHS OpenPrescribing service shows these drugs were prescribed 26 times by GPs in the former NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area in 2022 – down from 32 times in 2021. This represents 7,020 doses of the drug – less than the 8,640 the year before. Over the past five years, 110 prescriptions have been given out by GPs for these medications in Portsmouth.

The figures also show these drugs were prescribed 171 times by GPs in the in the former NHS Hampshire, Southampton And Isle Of Wight CCG area in 2022 – up from 134 times in 2021. This represents 48,420 doses of the drug – more than the 38,610 the year before. Over the past five years, 555 prescriptions have been given out by GPs for these medications in the former CCG area.

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These drugs are only used to treat certain types of MS and contain the active ingredients Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol found in cannabis plants.

While rarely prescribed, CBD is widely available on UK high streets – albeit in varying strength and quality.

Meanwhile, substances containing THC remain illegal outside of specific medical uses.

This data shows the number of prescriptions given by GPs, rather than patients – a single patient may have been prescribed a drug multiple times over the same year.

Prescription medication can also be dispensed directly by hospitals – with previous research by the MS Society charity suggesting more than half of prescribing of Sativex is through secondary care.

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

The MS Society has been campaigning to make Sativex more widely available, and said despite increased availability, some health bodies will not currently fund the drug.

It says the medication can have ‘life-changing effects’ for those suffering from the condition, helping to alleviate stiffness and muscle spasms.

Daniel Jennings, senior policy and campaigns officer at the charity Epilepsy Action, 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 – with almost 90,000 private prescriptions made between 2018 and 2022.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) replaced CCGs in the NHS in England from July 1 2022.