Untreated cancer pain a ‘scandal of global proportions’

A new global study by European Society for Medical Oncology reveals a pandemic of intolerable pain affecting billions, caused by pain medicines’ overregulation.

A ground-breaking international survey published today, shows that more than half of the world’s population live in countries where regulations aiming to stem drug misuse leave patients without access to opioid medicines for managing cancer pain.

The results from the Global Opioid Policy Initiative (GOPI) project show that more than 4 billion people live in countries where regulations leave cancer patients suffering excruciating pain….read more

While there are problems with the supply in many countries, the main problem is overregulation that makes it difficult for healthcare professionals to prescribe and administer them for legitimate medical use.

From ehospice India edition