The UK MS society launches the #ApprovedButDenied campaign for medical cannabis

On August 18, the MS Society UK, with the support of the Daily Express and other Sativex advocates, launched the #ApprovedButDenied cannabis campaign.

Sativex info

This is an oral cannabis spray that is used to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis. It contains equal amounts of THC and CBD. Sativex was approved in 2010 and the UK approved its use in adult MS patients in 2019.

Doctors prescribe Sativex when other conventional antispastic drugs do not provide relief for the patient.

Patients are asked to spray the treatment under the tongue or on the cheeks. It is often recommended not to keep spraying the drug on the same area to avoid irritation.

A patient may be prescribed up to 12 sprays per day, depending on the frequency of cramps.

Tests have shown that Sativex doesn’t work for everyone, but when it does, it can be very powerful and provide relief in as little time as possible.

Currently, the UK only funds Sativex treatments in 49 out of a total of 106 healthcare facilities. That means 57 local health facilities, also known as Clinical Commissioning Bodies (CCB), are not prescribing Sativex for their MS patients.

During the pandemic, many MS patients were unable to get the support and care they needed from their local NHS. This was partly because hospitals were inundated with COVID-19 cases. Most of the time it was down to the distribution system, which says that where a person lives will determine whether or not they are eligible for the drug.

People with MS go through a lot and their treatment shouldn’t be based on where they live.

The postal code lottery for Sativex is unacceptable

In the UK, the zip code lottery system determines whether or not a patient is eligible for a dose of Sativex. Patients are fed up with this system and want a change.

A person’s access to affordable and adequate health care should be urgent and not left to chance. The zip code lottery system is more or less a game of chance.

Recently, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimated that up to 4,800 people were eligible for a Sativex study.

The study was designed to test the effectiveness of Sativex in different patients and took four weeks to complete. Due to the unavailability of Sativex in major health centers, fewer than 650 participants were tested.

#ApprovedButDenied

The MS Society started this campaign on behalf of thousands of MS patients who cannot get Sativex because of their location in the country.

This campaign is calling out to people suffering from muscle spasms no matter where they are in the UK. It also prompts every other person with friends and family members who are suffering from muscle spasms. The MS society is asking everyone to take action by contacting the local health service and also putting pressure on policy makers to make a change in the health system.

The MS Society hopes this campaign will get the government, local NHS organizations and Jazz Pharmaceutical (makers of Sativex) to take the necessary steps to make Sativex available to all.

UK MS Society manager Fredi Cavender-Attawood said it was inappropriate that Sativex was still unavailable in over 50 healthcare areas in England. The NICE approval granted two years ago should have improved the local health areas in England.

Fredi added that people with MS pay up to £ 500 each month for Sativex prescriptions in private facilities. Either they do this or they live with the relentless and debilitating cramps

Note that the NHS prescription costs less than £ 300 for the same dose that sells for £ 500. Cannabis for MS on the street is now cheap in the UK too.

People who can’t afford the private prescriptions are forced to buy cannabis products illegally – only to feel relief.

Other key members of the campaign added that the time has come to change the way people treat MS patients. The unfair zip code lottery has to end. Sativex should be available to everyone who meets the treatment criteria.

Job interviews

The published campaign report included responses from interviews with some MS patients in the UK.

A patient named Sheila, 71 years old, also shared the relief she felt after starting to use various medicinal cannabis strains for MS.

She added that since taking Sativex, her symptoms have decreased and she has stopped having cramps. With Sativex, she was able to train her limbs without complications. Your fear of cramps has fizzled out.

Another patient named Neil said that Sativex helped him sleep well for the first time in ten years. According to Neil, he found that he was practically exhausted due to insomnia he had before using Sativex.

People like Sheila and Neil are real examples of how Sativex could help MS patients live their lives with their conditions.

Support the campaign

Amy Winehouse’s mother has also shown her support for the # ApprovedButDenied campaign.

Janis Weinhaus understands how draining muscle spasms can be after a diagnosis of secondary progressive MS. 66-year-old Janis says she had to rely on walking sticks and a wheelchair to get around.

In the interview, she mentioned how she got her symptoms under control with yoga and physiotherapy. Pointing out the need for Sativex, she noted that not everyone can rely on yoga and physical therapy for relief.

Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset, also supports the campaign. He said the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) had been campaigning for the availability of Sativex in all health centers across the UK over the past few years.

“I fully support the #ApprovedButDenied campaign and urge health officials to end the lottery with zip codes for drugs,” added MP Simon.

Bottom line

Sativex is a life enhancing drug that should be prescribed by all clinical commission groups in the UK. Local NHS bodies should ensure adequate funding for Sativex.

This campaign is a step in the right direction.

Nobody should be denied the chance of an MS-free life!

CANNABIS FOR MULTIPLE SKLROISE, READ MORE ..

A NEW APPROACH FOR CANNABIS AND MS PATIENTS, READ THIS!

OR..

HOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA HELPS THE BRAIN IN MS, READ HERE!