RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 Nichols, Emma Hitt
T1 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
JF MD Conference Express
YR 2012
FD SAGE Publications
VO 12
IS 15
SP 27
OP 27
DO 10.1177/155989771215018
UL http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/12/15/27.abstract
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.