Medicinal cannabis prescriptions (FOI)

Request

How many medicinal cannabis prescriptions have been issued in Jersey since it became legal and how many of those have been issued by the private clinics?

Response

Health and Community Services response

All prescriptions for medicinal Cannabis (other than Sativex which has been legal for over 10 years) are issued by private clinics and dispensed by community pharmacies as private prescriptions. Information is therefore not held. Some information from pharmacies on quantities dispensed is provided to HCS however the information would require interrogation and manipulation. It is also estimated that a review of data would exceed the 12.5 hours prescribed by regulation under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. Such data would not necessarily give the number of actual prescriptions. The Freedom of Information Law does not require a Scheduled Public Authority to manipulate data.

Customer and Local Services response

This information is not held. Information on the amounts and types of medicine prescribed is only held if the medicine is on the Jersey Prescribed List and if it has been prescribed by a primary care prescriber, approved to issue prescriptions under the Health Insurance Law. Cannabis is not on the Prescribed list and information is not held regarding private prescriptions or private clinics therefore the number of Cannabis prescriptions which have been issued, privately or otherwise is not known.