FOI Data Highlights Pharmacists’ Role in CBPM Prescribing in the UK
New FOI data has revealed that pharmacist independent prescribers are responsible for the majority of cannabis-based medicinal product (CBPM) prescriptions issued in the UK.
The analysis found that pharmacist independent prescribers accounted for 955,471 prescription items, representing 61.9% of the 1.54 million CBPM items prescribed between January 2019 and May 2025. Doctors accounted for 35.8% of prescriptions, while nurse prescribers contributed to the remaining.
The data also showed that nine of the ten highest-volume prescriber identifiers were pharmacist independent prescribers. However, the analysis notes that these identifiers do not necessarily represent individual clinicians. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has confirmed that some prescriber identifiers may relate to group practices or clinics rather than named individuals.
According to the report, the figures reflect the way medical cannabis is prescribed in the UK. While only doctors on the GMC Specialist Register can initiate a CBPM prescription, ongoing repeat prescribing can be undertaken by appropriately qualified practitioners, including pharmacist independent prescribers, under shared care arrangements. Business of Cannabis reported that an analysis by Prohibition Partners’ “shows that the top eight telemedicine clinics account for approximately 80% of all CBPM prescriptions.”
The findings also point to the concentration of prescribing within a relatively small number of specialist telemedicine providers, with the report suggesting this is more indicative of the current structure of the UK’s medical cannabis market than the prescribing activity of individual clinicians.
