Wednesday 6 January 2016

Wales becomes first UK nation to approve cannabis-based drug for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers - Wales Online

Wales becomes first UK nation to approve cannabis-based drug for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers - Wales Online

Cannabis plants were seized from an address in Port Talbot
Cannabis is grown for medicinal use in several countries, including parts of the USA
Wales has become the first country in the UK to approve a cannabis-based drug for sufferers of multiple sclerosis.
Health Minister Mark Drakeford has approved the cannabis-based oral spray Sativex to treat Welsh patients experiencing symptoms of muscle spasms and stiffness.
Consultants in rehabilitation medicine have hailed the recommendation as a “significant milestone for the treatment of spasticity”.
Despite the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) rejecting it for use in their draft clinical guideline for MS – which means Sativex could be blocked from use in England – the All Wales Medical Strategy Group’s (AWMSG) insisted the treatment should be made available.
The AWMSG recommendation and Ministerial approval overrules NICE, meaning Wales will be the only place in the UK where people will be able to access the treatment.

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