The Ministry of Health has decided who will be prescribed medical cannabis: list of diseases and conditions
27 September 2024 21:56
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has approved a list of diseases and conditions for which medical cannabis-based medicines can be prescribed. These medicines can be obtained exclusively by electronic prescription from a primary care physician or specialist, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Health.
List of diseases and conditions for prescribing medical cannabis
- Chronic or neuropathic pain and/or spasticity caused by:
- malignant neoplasms;
- diabetic neuropathy;
- multiple sclerosis;
- lesions of the trigeminal and facial nerves;
- neuralgia due to shingles;
- lesions of nerve roots and plexuses;
- compression of nerve roots and plexuses in diseases;
- mononeuropathy of the upper limb;
- mononeuropathy of the lower limb;
- polyneuropathy and other peripheral nervous system disorders;
- cerebral palsy and other paralysis syndromes;
- spinal cord injuries;
- intracranial injuries.
- Nausea and vomiting as a result of chemotherapy during the treatment of tumours.
- Parkinson’s disease, de la Tourette syndrome.
- Refractory (drug-resistant) epilepsy.
- Diseases that cause seizures in childhood:
- lennox-Gastaut syndrome;
- dravet syndrome;
- tuberous sclerosis;
- Weight loss associated with anorexia in patients with HIV/AIDS.
- Other diseases – only with the opinion of the Medical Advisory Committee.
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Conditions for prescription and use
The Ministry of Health emphasises that prescribing medical cannabis is possible only in cases where other medicines do not provide the expected therapeutic effect or cause adverse reactions that are poorly tolerated by the patient. The dosage and regimen will be determined by the doctor individually.
The Ministry of Health has also established special conditions and restrictions on the prescription of medicines based on medical cannabis. Children are allowed to be prescribed such drugs, but only those with a ratio of cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol exceeding 20:1. The maximum daily dose for children should not exceed 25 mg per kilogram of body weight.
There are categories of patients who should not be prescribed medical cannabis. These are pregnant and breastfeeding women, especially when it comes to drugs with tetrahydrocannabinol. Also, these medicines are not prescribed to people with diagnosed or suspected schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, including cases where there is a family history of such diseases. Patients with severe personality disorders are also not eligible for these medications, except in cases of depression associated with the underlying disease.
Additional contraindications include hypersensitivity to cannabinoids or other components of the drug. Patients with moderate or severe liver dysfunction are not recommended to use medical cannabis, or it is possible only with a significantly reduced dosage.
It is important to note that medical cannabis treatment should be discontinued if the desired therapeutic effect is not achieved within 4-12 weeks. The drug is also discontinued in the event of serious adverse reactions, including those related to the patient’s mental state. These restrictions and conditions are aimed at ensuring the safe and effective use of medical cannabis, taking into account the individual characteristics of patients and potential risks.
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