Almost 400 patients pay for cannabis prescriptions

More than 1,300 items dispensed in first six months of service

Almost 400 patients have been prescribed cannabis since an Island pharmacy started dispensing the drug.

The pilot service got underway in December last year, with Karson's Pharmacy in Onchan having been granted a licence to dispense cannabis products.

From the start of the service to February this year, 455 prescriptions were dispensed to 148 patients.

Between March and May, the number rose to 874 prescriptions and 335 patients.

It total, 395 patients have received prescriptions since the pilot began - with some having been prescribed cannabis products in both periods.

The figures have been published in response to a written Tynwald question from Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson.

Currently, the drug is only available to patients paying for a private prescription, and not on the NHS.

A broader review of the cannabis based products for medicinal use service is scheduled for next month, but the Department of Health and Social Care says it's not currently considering bringing it into scope of NHS services.