Medical Marijuana For Chronic Pain Could Cut UK’s National Health Costs By $5.19B Annually, Improving Health Outcomes
Allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed on the National Health Service (NHS) for chronic pain could save the national healthcare provider nearly £4 billion annually ($5.19 billion), new research reveals. The independent analysis of the economic case for prescribing medical cannabis on the NHS was commissioned by the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC) and Drug Science.
The research found that when a patient was prescribed medical cannabis for chronic pain instead of alternative treatments, it saved the NHS £729 each year and improved health outcomes. If this were available as a treatment to the 5.45 million people with moderately or severely disabling chronic pain, it would equate to a £3.97 billion annual saving for the NHS.
The savings came from reductions in the use of other prescription drugs (such as opioids), fewer GP and hospital appointments and reduced spending on alternative therapies and treatments.
“Our research shows the NHS could save £4 billion every year, simply by facilitating prescription of medical cannabis for chronic pain – which is already …