GPs to prescribe medical cannabis for severe pain starting in April

Starting in April, general practitioners in Czechia will be authorised to prescribe medical cannabis to patients with severe, chronic or unmanageable pain. However, for other conditions, cannabis treatment will remain the responsibility of specialists, according to the Health Ministry’s decree.

Since its introduction in 2015, around 250 doctors have prescribed cannabis, with 320 kilograms given to patients last year. Patients can receive up to 180 grams of cannabis per month, or the equivalent in extract.

Since 2020, health insurers have covered 90% of the cost, up to 30 grams per month. In 2022, the General Health Insurance Company (VZP) spent CZK 17.2 million for about 3,200 patients, part of a healthcare budget exceeding CZK 420 billion.