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Opioid inaccessibility and its human consequences: reports from the field
Eric L Krakauer1, Roberto Wenk, Rosa Buitrago
1Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy
|August 20, 2010
Summary
Severe pain relief is lacking in low-income countries because essential strong opioids like morphine are inaccessible. This results in unnecessary suffering, highlighting the urgent need for improved medication access for patients in pain.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Global Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Strong opioids, such as morphine, are crucial for managing severe pain.
- Accessibility of essential pain medications is a significant global health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Observation:
- Three case studies from diverse countries illustrate the inaccessibility of strong opioids.
- Patients with severe pain experience unnecessary suffering due to lack of access to morphine.
Findings:
- Morphine, an essential, inexpensive, and safe medication, is rarely accessible in LMICs.
- Multiple factors contribute to the inadequate accessibility of strong opioids in these regions.
Implications:
- Addressing the lack of opioid accessibility is critical to alleviating suffering in LMICs.
- Proposed solutions aim to improve the availability of essential pain medications for all patients in need.
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