Border Patients at Risk: PatientsCann Raises Concerns with UK & Ireland

PatientsCann UK: Border Patients at Risk Urgent News UK–Ireland Border Border Patients at Risk: PatientsCann Raises Concerns with UK & Ireland PatientsCann UK has raised urgent concerns with both the UK and Republic of Ireland governments over the impossible situation facing patients whose lawful prescriptions cross a Schedule 1 border, even just to get home. PatientsCann UK·Advocacy & Policy·19 August 2025 The core problem: A prescription issued in the UK, ROI or Crown Dependencies cannot be dispensed across the border if the medicine is considered Schedule 1. Patients cannot lawfully carry these prescribed medicines across the border, even when crossing is unavoidable to travel within their own country. Communities Most Affected This issue disproportionately affects border communities, where travel across the border is not optional but a daily necessity: Drummully, Co. Monaghan (ROI) can practically only be accessed via roads through Northern Ireland. Patients prescribed treatment elsewhere in ROI must cross NI to return home. Teer, Co. Fermanagh (NI) is practically accessible only via ROI. Patients collecting prescriptions in NI must cross ROI to get home. Roads such as the N54/A3 frequently cross between ROI and NI, making it impractical or impossible for some patients to avoid travelling across the border. For patients in these communities, this creates an impossible situation: return home with their prescribed treatment and risk criminalisation, or forego essential medication. Affected Areas The Border Communities at Risk ROI–Northern Ireland Border Where the law creates an impossible journey This map illustrates the specific border communities where patients have no practical route home without crossing into a different jurisdiction. Areas including Drummully (Co. Monaghan, ROI) and Teer (Co. Fermanagh, NI) are geographic enclaves, patients carrying legally prescribed medicines face potential criminalisation simply by travelling within their own country. Roads such as the N54/A3 cross between ROI and NI multiple times, making border avoidance impractical or physically impossible for residents. Connected Harms Six Practical Problems Disrupted Continuity of CareMissed doses, medical destabilisation, hospital attendance Patients attending appointments, clinics or pharmacies within their own jurisdiction may be unable to return home with medicines they were lawfully prescribed. This is particularly harmful for conditions that require uninterrupted dosing, epilepsy, severe chronic pain, some mental health conditions, where missed doses can lead to medical destabilisation or hospital attendance. Risk of CriminalisationPolicing uncertainty, inconsistent enforcement risk Patients are left unsure whether they will face enforcement action if stopped while carrying their legally prescribed medicine in a part of the neighbouring jurisdiction. This uncertainty can deter people from collecting or taking medication as prescribed. It also puts police officers and prosecutors in a difficult position with little practical guidance. Pharmacy & Delivery BarriersCommunity pharmacies and couriers cannot always complete deliveries Community pharmacies and authorised couriers that deliver prescriptions, a vital service for many elderly and disabled residents, may be legally unable to complete a delivery if the quickest or only route crosses the border. This increases delivery times and costs and may leave vulnerable patients without medicines for days. PatientsCann UKUK’s Medical Cannabis Patient Organisation · patientscann.co.uk

Network Rail’s Medical Cannabis Policy: A Cause for Concern

PatientsCann UK — Network Rail Policy Discrimination Employment January 2025 Network Rail’s Medical Cannabis Policy: A Cause for Concern PatientsCann UK is deeply concerned by Network Rail’s safety advice NRA24-13, which imposes a blanket ban on employees using prescribed medical cannabis — potentially violating the Equality Act 2010. PatientsCann UK·News & Advocacy·January 2025 What the policy does: The policy mandates automatic suspension for employees prescribed medical cannabis for conditions not covered by NICE guidelines. It requires cessation of treatment and proof of a “clean” test before reinstatement — regardless of the employee’s role or whether their prescription affects their ability to perform their duties. Equality and Discrimination Concerns The Equality Act 2010 protects individuals with disabilities or long-term conditions, requiring employers to make reasonable adjustments rather than imposing blanket restrictions. Network Rail’s stance risks discrimination by disproportionately affecting those with legally prescribed medical cannabis treatments. This approach disregards the fact that medical cannabis is often prescribed as a last resort after other treatments fail. Forcing patients to abandon their effective treatment places undue pressure on their wellbeing. Our Call for Change PatientsCann UK has written to Network Rail, urging them to: Reassess their policy with input from stakeholders, including patients and advocates Adopt an evidence-based, individualised approach to ensure safety and equality are balanced Offer reasonable adjustments for employees prescribed medical cannabis We believe policies should focus on functional assessments, rather than blanket assumptions about impairment. Other potentially impairing medications — such as opioids — are managed on a case-by-case basis. Medical cannabis should be no different. Open Letter Read Our Letter to Network Rail Open Letter to Network Rail Download Affected by This Policy? If you or someone you know has been affected by Network Rail’s policy, we want to hear from you. Contact us at info@patientscann.org.uk. Read the Open Letter Contact Us PatientsCann UKUK’s Medical Cannabis Patient Organisation · patientscann.co.uk