What is an unlicensed medicine?
Unlicensed medicine
A medicine that has no UK marketing authorisation. Most cannabis-based medicines prescribed in the UK are unlicensed and supplied as "specials", which is lawful when a specialist doctor prescribes them.
Where you will see it
In the guides.
What CBPMs areRelated terms
- Controlled drug prescription
A prescription for a medicine controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations, which includes cannabis-based medicines. It is valid for 28 days from the date on it.
- MDT (Multidisciplinary Team)
A team of healthcare professionals from different disciplines who collaborate on patient care. Better medical cannabis clinics use MDT review before issuing prescriptions, involving specialists in the relevant condition.
- Named Patient
A framework allowing doctors to prescribe unlicensed medicines for individual patients with a specific unmet clinical need. Most CBPM prescriptions in the UK are issued on this basis.
- PLEA (Patient-Led Engagement for Access)
A UK patient organisation focused on improving access to medical cannabis for patients, conducting surveys and advocacy work.
- Private prescription
A prescription from a private clinic that you pay for yourself. Almost all medical cannabis prescriptions in the UK are private.
This is a plain-language definition for general understanding, not medical or legal advice.
All 101 terms