PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nichols, Emma Hitt
ED  - Cherny, Nathan I.
TI  - The International Collaborative Project to Evaluate the Availability and Accessibility of Opioids for the Management of Cancer Pain in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America
DP  - 2012  01
TA  - MD Conference Express
PG  - 27--27
VI  - 12
IP  - 15
4099  - http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/12/15/27.short
4100  - http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/12/15/27.full
AB  - Adequate relief of the pain associated with cancer is now recognized as a patient right, and opioid analgesics are essential for effective relief of this pain [Cherny NI et al. Ann Oncol 2010]. However, an opioid regulatory paradox exists with 2 conflicting needs: these drugs should be available to the patients who need them, but they should be prevented from becoming a source of abuse. Restrictions on the availability and accessibility of opioids in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East pose a major public health problem. This article reports on new data on the state of management of cancer pain in these countries.