Patients will be able to access deliveries of medical cannabis products in Ireland

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that patients will be able to access deliveries of medical cannabis products in Ireland.

Before the pandemic, people used to travelled to the Netherlands to collect prescriptions.

Officials in the Netherlands have forbidden the commercial export of cannabis oils but allowed the filling of individual prescriptions from EU states.

In April, a delivery service from the Netherlands to Ireland to assist patients of licenced clinicians in obtaining prescribed cannabis products was started.

But this was on a temporary basis because of Covid-19-related restrictions around travel and now it will be made permanent.

“Many patients and their families have shared stories with both me and officials in my Department about how this initiative has made a huge improvement to their lives.” Mr Donnelly said.

“They spoke about the stress of having to travel regularly and the associated health risks with that, as well as their concerns that they would run out of their medication.” he added.

“The welfare of patients and their families comes first and I am happy to reassure them that they will no longer have to personally source their prescriptions.”

Officials in the Department of Health will decide and fix the arrangements regarding the collection and delivery service will work on a permanent basis into the future.