FOI-03512

Thank you for your request for information about the following: 
 
##Request 
 
You asked us: 
 
<i>Could I also ask if you have any recent figures for the number of medicinal cannabis prescriptions issued by the NHS?</i>
 
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 8 January 2026.  
 
We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.  
 
##Our response 
 
NHS Prescriptions for cannabis fall into two categories:  
 
•	NHS licensed   <br>
•	NHS unlicensed  
 
<b>NHS licensed cannabis prescribing</b>
 
Under Section 21 of the FOIA we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you.   
  
The information you requested on NHS licensed prescribing of cannabis is available on our website.  
 
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-monthly-data 
 
This contains data from April 2021 to November 2025, which is the latest data available. 
 
To obtain this, you will need to download the relevant month's data and filter on BNF_CHEMICAL_SUBSTANCE for: <br>
•	Nabilone <br>
•	Dronabinol/Cannabidiol  <br>
•	Cannabidiol 
 
The total number of prescription items for those substances can then be found in column X. 
 
Data from February 2008 to March 2021 is available at the below web link: 
 
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/prescription-cost-analysis-pca-data  
 
<b>NHS unlicensed cannabis prescribing</b> 
 
Please be aware that I have decided not to release details of NHS prescribing for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines.  This is because the patients could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available, such as media coverage about cannabis prescribing.  
This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the Freedom of Information Act.  
 
This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as: <br> 
a)  it is not fair to disclose patients personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.  <br>
b) these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the patients.  
 
Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full. 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40 
 
<b>Breach of Patient Confidentiality</b>
 
Please note that the identification of patients is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A patient who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA for the disclosure of the confidential information. 
 
The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the Freedom of Information Act. 
 
Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full. 
 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41  
 
##Data Queries 
 
Please contact <a href="mailto: foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk"> foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a> ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data. 

##Reusing the data and copyright 
 
If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact <a href="mailto: communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk">communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a>. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented. 
 
The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: 
 
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/  
 
Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “Data Warehouse, NHSBSA Copyright 2026”. Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence. 
 
Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information. 

Tags: Licenced Cannabis
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log