Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of mandating digital prescribing for medical cannabis.

Cannabis-based products for medicinal use are Schedule 2 controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Electronic prescribing of Schedule 2 and 3 Controlled Drugs in NHS primary care settings has been operational since 2019.

It is mandatory for electronic prescriptions for controlled drugs in Schedules 2 and 3 to be sent using an advanced electronic signature and sent via the NHS Electronic Prescribing Service as part of enhanced security measures.

There are no current plans to make legislative changes to enable similar systems in private healthcare to prescribe Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs.