IPS Pharma is bringing a new option to UK clinicians who prescribe cannabis-based medicines. Working with Dunbar Pharma, an Irish manufacturer, we now supply plant-derived dronabinol as part of our Specials service.
This means clinicians have a new, reliable oral option for patients who need it.
The problem we’re solving
Many patients can’t or don’t want to inhale their medicine. But oral cannabinoid options haven’t always been consistent from batch to batch. That makes it harder for clinicians to prescribe with confidence, and harder for pharmacies to guarantee supply.
We wanted to fix that.
What IPS Pharma now offers
Through our partnership with Dunbar Pharma, we bring their dronabinol API, called WaterClear THC™, into the UK. We use it to manufacture CBPMs (cannabis-based products for medicinal use) as:
- 5 mg and 10 mg oral capsules
- A 25 mg/mL oral dose spray
- A 25 mg/mL oily dropper solution
These are available through the UK’s Specials framework. This route lets clinicians prescribe an unlicensed medicine when it’s needed for a specific patient, and no licensed alternative fits.
What makes this different
Dronabinol is the medical name for pharmaceutical-grade delta-9-THC. It’s been used safely in medicine for decades. Most dronabinol is made synthetically. Dunbar Pharma’s version starts from the plant instead.
It’s manufactured at commercial scale in Athlone, Ireland. The facility is EU GMP-certified and overseen by Ireland’s health products regulator, the HPRA. Every batch is fully traceable.
Because it’s a defined API rather than a botanical extract, dosing stays consistent. That matters when a clinician is titrating a patient’s dose, or when a pharmacy needs to keep supplying the same strength to someone already stable on their treatment.
Why we chose Dunbar Pharma
We only work with manufacturers who meet the same standards we hold ourselves to. That means verifiable GMP certification, full batch traceability, and oversight from a recognised regulator.
Dunbar Pharma ticks all three boxes. Their certification is verifiable on the EudraGMDP public register.
As Ian McFarlane, our Director of Strategic Partnerships, explains: “Partnering with an EU GMP-certified manufacturer that shares our commitment to quality and reliability gives us confidence in the supply of regulated cannabinoid medicines. Together, we’re helping improve access to high-quality oral treatment options for clinicians prescribing under the UK’s Specials framework.”
Bringing more consistency to cannabinoid prescribing
This launch follows Dunbar Pharma’s earlier expansion into Germany, where dronabinol prescriptions have already overtaken cannabis flower within the relevant health insurance category. It’s a sign of where the wider market is heading: towards pharmaceutical-grade consistency, not away from it.
By bringing that same standard to the UK, IPS Pharma is giving clinicians a genuinely new option for individualised, oral cannabinoid prescribing, not just another supplier.
Get in touch
If you’re a clinician or pharmacy interested in prescribing or sourcing dronabinol-based CBPMs made with WaterClear THC™, get in touch with the IPS Pharma team. We’ll walk you through your options, lead times, and how to order through the Specials pathway.
IPS Pharma is a UK pharmaceutical importer, wholesaler, and licensed Specials manufacturer. We work with clinicians and pharmacies to supply regulated, quality-assured medicines where no licensed alternative is available.
