18/07/2024
Moritz Förster
The G-BA today determined under which exceptions doctors may prescribe medical cannabis without prior approval of the cost coverage by the Medical Service (MDK).
Until now, the rule was that the first prescription of cannabis products usually had to be approved by the health insurance company; for subsequent prescriptions, this only applies if the product is changed. The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has now listed a total of 16 specialist and specialty titles and 5 additional titles for which the approval requirement will no longer apply in the future, including palliative medicine and special pain therapy. The G-BA assumes that doctors who have these specialist, specialty or additional titles can conclusively assess the requirements for a cannabis prescription. However, if there are any uncertainties, these contracted doctors can also apply for approval of the prescription from the health insurance company.
This point was the subject of a debate in the plenary session. This is a way for doctors to protect themselves from possible claims for compensation.
Prof. Josef Hecken, impartial chairman of the G-BA and chairman of the Subcommittee on Pharmaceuticals, can be quoted as follows: "We received good and important feedback on our original draft resolution, which is now also reflected in the resolution. In order to avoid any confusion, no specific clinical pictures are mentioned, as the approval requirement does not only apply there. In addition, additional training is not absolutely necessary for the specialist and specialty titles now listed. In my view, we have found a balanced solution overall. The bureaucratic effort is reduced considerably without compromising patient safety."
