2021-03-31 12:29:27
According to a report in the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/28/parents-of-boy-with-severe-epilepsy-drop-cannabis-challenge , the parents of a three-year-old have dropped a judicial review claim against NICE in which they intended to argue NICE guidelines on the prescribing of medicinal cannabis which, they said “put doctors off prescribing ‘live-saving treatment’”
Prescribing cannabis was legalised subject to certain conditions in 2018. The judicial review claim was dropped because NICE has now clarified its guidance which says there is insufficient evidence to support a recommendation relating to the whole population of people with severer treatment-resistant epilepsy. The clarification says the NICE guidelines:
“should not however be interpreted by healthcare professionals as meaning that they are prevented from considering the use of unlicensed cannabis-based medicinal products where that is clinically appropriate in an individual case. Patients in this population can be prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products if the healthcare professional considers that that would be appropriate on a balance of benefit and risk, and in consultation with the patient, and their families and carers or guardian.”