A NEW clinic giving islanders the opportunity to be prescribed medical cannabis is opening its doors in St Martin this week. The Medical Cannabis Clinic is partnering with St Martin’s Grand Rue Pharmacy to offer face to face consultations with Dr Scott Mitchell. The Medical Cannabis Clinic had been previously providing islanders access to the medicine through their clinics in the UK, however, this will be the first time they have offered their services from a locally-based centre.
It also means patients will no longer have to pay the import fee for medicines to be shipped from mainland UK. Since earlier this year, patients had been paying £25 to import their prescriptions of medical cannabis from the UK. This new clinic means islanders will be able to access their prescriptions more easily and faster from an island-based pharmacy. It’s also hoped this new clinic will improve access for patients and help those who are currently without a prescription but would benefit from the medicine.
Medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in November 2018 and is used to treat a variety of chronic pain conditions such as MS, fibromyalgia and endometriosis. It can also be used for gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS, as well as epilepsy and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. The new St Martins Clinic is currently taking bookings online at www.themedicalcannabisclinics.com and will begin face to face appointments on Tuesday 7th June.
Dr Scott Mitchell said: “Cannabis based medicines have a huge potential to help patients with a vast range of illnesses and symptoms. Although it remains unlicensed, it has a good safety profile and can be a useful alternative when conventional therapies have been ineffective. Having a clinic here on the island means that we can provide the best quality of care, seeing patients face to face for their consultations.”
Sophie Gamwell, Head of Operations at Lyphe Group said: “This is an important step in ensuring the expanding patient community in Guernsey receives the highest level of care and most cost effective appointments on the island. Crucially, this new partnership means patients are able to receive their medication quicker and have their medication dispensed directly from St Martin’s Rue Pharmacy.”
