13 April 2011
CANCER LAW IN COLOMBIA NOW IMPLEMENTED
Another great step forward in improving pain relief for cancer patients occurred recently in Colombia with the implementation of a Cancer Law that includes Palliative Care and Opioid Availability. The Law, although approved nearly one year ago (19 April 2010), has finally started to be implemented due to changes in the Colombian government.
The 2nd paragraph in Article #10 of the Law contains language that ensures opioid availability for Cancer patients:
"The Ministry of Social Welfare (Health) through the National Competent Authority will ensure the distribution, accessibility, availability and provide the authorizations necessary to ensure the adequacy and opportunity to access to opioids drugs for pain management"
Congratulations to our International Pain Policy Fellow Dr. Marta Leon and her colleagues on this achievement!
4 April 2011
After nearly 4 years of very hard work on the part of International Pain Policy Fellow Dr. Marta Leon and collaborators, the Colombian Ministry of Health has included Methadone tab 40 mg, Hydromorphone tab 5 mg and Morphine solution 3% in the National Obligatory Health Plan. From now on, the government is obligated to dispense these medications for free to all patients who have a prescription.
"A
Model for Improving Access to Opioids: The Latin
American Experience" (un artículo, Innovations
in End-of-Life Care)
WHOCC
monograph - Quito, Ecuador - December 2000
WHOCC
monograph - Guadalajara, Mexico - March 2002 [in English or en Español]
WHOCC
monograph - Montevideo, Uruguay - March 2004
International Observatory on End of Life Care Country Report
Improving Availability of and Access to
Opioids in Colombia: Description and Preliminary Results of an Action Plan for the Country. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2009
Integrating Palliative Care in Public Health: The Colombian Experience following an International Pain Policy Fellowship. Palliative Medicine, 2011
