Acceso a medicamentos esenciales para cuidados paliativos: informe del 57º período de sesiones de la Comisión de Estupefacientes

Katherine Pettus explica cómo la Comisión de Estupefacientes está cambiando su punto de vista sobre el acceso a medicamentos esenciales para cuidados paliativos.

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Katherine Pettus, PhD, represented the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) at the Vienna NGO Coalition on Drug Policy in Austria. She explains how the Commission on Narcotic Drugs is changing its view of access to essential medicines for palliative care.

The issue of lack of access to opioid analgesics in 80% of the world, drew unprecedented attention at the recent High Level Segment of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and the annual (57th) session held on 13/14 March in Vienna. Although the WHO (World Health Organization) classifies opioids such as morphine, used for the relief of severe pain, and methodone used for dependency treatment, as “essential medicines,” access to both is internationally restricted, since they are “scheduled” under the three drug control treaties supervised by the CND. Palliative care physicians in lower and middle-income countries confront multiple legal and regulatory barriers in accessing controlled medicines.

Two side events and a series of speeches by member states in plenary sessions educated delegates on the harmful health effects of national and international drug control policies. Member states were urged to make public health the cornerstone of drug policy and to review the effects of harsh law enforcement on access to essential medicines for palliative care and harm reduction.

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