New research suggests that allowing medical marijuana prescriptions on the NHS for chronic pain could save the UK’s national healthcare provider nearly £4 billion a year (about $5.19 billion).
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This economic analysis was conducted independently for the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) and Drug Science, shedding light on the potential benefits of medical cannabis for both patients and the NHS.
The findings indicate that switching chronic pain patients from other treatments to medical cannabis could save the NHS around £729 per patient annually, while also improving their health outcomes. If this treatment were available to the estimated 5.45 million people with moderately to severely disabling chronic pain, it could add up to a £3.97 billion annual saving.
These savings come from reduced reliance on other prescription drugs, like opioids, fewer GP and hospital visits, and less spending on alternative treatments. Prof. Mike Barnes, associated with CIC and Drug Science, shared his perspective: “Our research shows the NHS could save £4 billion every year, simply by facilitating prescription of medical cannabis for chronic pain – which is already legal to prescribe.” He emphasized that, with NHS waiting lists high and funding stretched, this solution could benefit both patients and the government.
“Given the Government is advocating prescribing weight loss drugs on the NHS to improve health and boost the economy, our research shows it would be entirely logical to do the same with medical cannabis,” added Barnes.
The study, supported by Ethypharm, Glass Pharms, and Rua Bioscience, was modeled by the York Health-Economics Consortium and offers insights that may influence future healthcare policy.
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The study also highlighted that medical cannabis prescriptions could reduce work absences by 27 hours per patient, potentially boosting individual earnings by hundreds of pounds each year. Overall, this approach could add £5.45 billion annually to the UK economy, or about £1,037 per patient. The report found that medical cannabis would also meet the NICE test for cost-effectiveness.
Although it’s possible to get medical marijuana through the NHS, access is currently limited to severe cases, such as epilepsy, chemotherapy-induced nausea, or MS-related muscle stiffness. This limited availability has left many families struggling to afford crucial treatment.
James Duckenfield, CEO of Glass Pharms, pointed out the disparity: "Despite medical cannabis being legalized in 2018, there are just a handful of NHS patients being prescribed unlicensed cannabis medicines." He added, “We hope that NICE will review the evidence in this Health Economic Analysis and adapt their guidelines accordingly. Now is the time to expand NHS provision to allow unlicensed cannabis medicines to be prescribed for chronic pain.”
The study, led by Dr. Shanna Marrinan, was published in Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, bringing more attention to the potential benefits of medical cannabis on the NHS.
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