Cannabis on prescription?

Cannabis soon on prescription?

(23.08.2010) Since the Emnid Institute has determined on behalf of the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Cannabis als Medizin" that 75 percent of Germans are in favor of the use of cannabis for medical purposes, the topic is again on everyone's lips and the German government also wants The enormous support that such a legalization finds in the population benefits.

The transmitter „ntv“ has now in an interview with the doctor, author and chairman of the consortium „Cannabis as medicine ", Franjo Grotenhermen, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of legalizing the use of medicinal cannabis, said Grotenhermen that there are currently two treatment options in Germany that use cannabis products: one of them is therapy with „dronabinol“, which is prescribable as a psychoactive cannabinoid in Germany since 1998. Around 40 people have received a special permit from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) for using the product. However, according to the expert, such a permit is very difficult to obtain. For example, the doctor in charge should explain in advance what the use of cannabis is and that no other treatment options exist.

From the quality of the medical justification essentially depends on whether a reimbursement by the health insurance is possible or not. Holger Rönitz of the THC Pharm GmbH explained in the discussion with Heilpraxisnet that z. B.in case of insatiable vomiting or tumor cachexia, and in palliative care, the chances of reimbursement are relatively good. However, it is always a case by case decision of the health insurance and in many diseases, these reject the cost of treatment categorically, as dronabinol“ according to Franklin Grotenhermen of the consortium “Cannabis as a medicine”. At up to 800, - Euro costs per month, for many patients an unbridgeable hurdle.

The high price explains Franjo Grotenhermen, with the low sales figures that exclude a mass production of dronabinol. In addition, the enormous safety requirements for BTM are associated with high costs for the production, storage and transport of the preparations.800, - Euro costs per month, according to Holger Rönitz, are rather rare, since these are only available at extremely high dosages, ie very serious illnesses. incurred. This is the case in about 10 percent of all patients. On average, the monthly costs for one „dronabinol“-Therapy on the other hand lie between 125, - and 400, - Euro, so Holger Rönitz opposite Heilpraxisnet.de.

As a special feature of the cannabis preparations Grotenhermen called the breadth of the spectrum of action, where he speaks of three areas that can be distinguished in neurological diseases, chronic pain and the inhibition of nausea (eg, after chemo-therapies). The side effects are relatively low. Only persons with heart disease should be careful, since preparations like „dronabinol“ Also, there is a risk of psychological dependence, similar to those found in innumerable other preparations, explained the expert also to the transmitter ntv. In addition, abuse by individuals is ultimately never completely shut down. He personally believes, however, that the abuse will not be greater than with other medications, stressing that it is wrong for fear of abuse to let patients who need cannabis medicines pay for it.

Here, too, the consideration of the black-yellow coalition government changes little in the situation for critically ill patients. According to the expert, it is only possible for the pharmaceutical companies to obtain their cannabis-based preparations for approval. As an example, Franjo Grotenhermen calls ntv the drug „Sativex“, that is used against spasticity in multiple sclerosis. The approval is planned for 2011 and will only go through if the Narcotics Act has been amended by then. However, the drug promises only a very small number of patients, namely those with multiple sclerosis, who also suffer from spasticity. In the end, the federal government only deals with things that have long been the norm in other European countries and uses them in the context of high popular support in order to boost their own popularity, as well as the opinion of the expert Grotenhermen.

The fact that pharmaceutical companies should be given the opportunity to authorize drugs based on cannabis is a first step in the right direction and since most of the companies have been researching cannabis drugs for years, too. But there has not been much interest on the part of pharmaceutical companies in producing active ingredients on a natural basis. Preferably, preparations are being researched that are similar to cannabis-derived drugs but are produced synthetically. Because only then can the product be patented accordingly and generate a decent profit. The fact that this often comes at the expense of the patient in the end, does not matter.

The expert assumes, however, that in the next 10 to 15 years, a variety of cannabis drugs will come on the market and the affected patients can be helped at least a bit. The now planned changes go to the „Working Group on Cannabis as Medicine ", however, is far from far enough. (Fp)

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Picture: Uwe Steinbrich.