Cannabis-based medicinal products

What CQC expects from providers

Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) were classed as controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 from 1 November 2018. This means they can be prescribed.

Most of the products are unlicensed medicines in the UK, apart from some products with a marketing authorisation, which are licensed for certain conditions.

Although many medicines prescribed in the NHS are unlicensed, particularly those prescribed for children, treating patients with unlicensed medicines poses a higher risk than with a licensed medicine as they may not have been assessed for safety, quality, and efficacy.

The prescribing restrictions in the Misuse of Drugs Regulations ensure that patients with clinical needs that can’t be met by licensed medicines can be prescribed these medicines, while also minimising the risks of misuse, harm, and diversion:

• Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs) can only be prescribed by or under the direction of a doctor who is on the specialist register of the General Medical Council (GMC). They must have relevant specialist knowledge and expertise to prescribe safely.
• Doctors who are not on the GMC specialist register, and certain non-medical prescribers, are able to prescribe CBPMs under the direction of a GMC registered specialist.
• Licensed products can be prescribed by any practitioner with the authority to do so under the 2001 Regulations.