Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume 38, Issue 5 , Pages 758-766 , November 2009

Improving Availability of and Access to Opioids in Colombia: Description and Preliminary Results of an Action Plan for the Country

  • Marta Ximena Leon, MD

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Group, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Marta Ximena Leon, MD, Universidad de la Sabana, Campus Universitario Puente del Comun, Autopista Norte Km 21, Chia, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
    • ,
  • Liliana De Lima, MHA

      Affiliations

    • International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, Houston, Texas, USA
    • ,
  • Sandra Florez, MD

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Group, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Marcela Torres, PharmD

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Group, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Marcela Daza

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Group, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Lina Mendoza

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Group, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Natalia Agudelo

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Group, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Laura Guerra

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Group, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Karen Ryan, MA

      Affiliations

    • Pain & Policy Studies Group, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

,Accepted 1 April 2009.

References 

  1. World Health Organization . WHO essential medicines library. Available from http://www.who.int/emlib/Medicines.aspxAccessed April 6, 2008
  2. Interntational Narcotics Control Board . Narcotic drugs. Estimated world requirements for 2009—Statistics for 2007. Available from http://www.incb.org/pdf/technical-reports/narcotic-drugs/2008/narcotics_drugs_2008.pdfAccessed January 12, 2009
  3. Pain & Policy Studies Group . Colombia: opioid consumption trends. Available from http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/internat/AMRO/Colombia/index.htmAccessed August 6, 2008
  4. Joranson DE, Ryan KM. Ensuring opioid availability: methods and resources. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;33:527–532
  5. World Health Organization . Achieving balance in national opioids control policy. Geneva: WHO; 2000;Available from http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/publicat/00whoabi/00whoabi.htmAccessed February 20, 2008
  6. Callaway M, Ferris F. Advancing palliative care: the public health perspective. [Foreword] J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;483–485
  7. Joranson D, Rajagopal M. Improving access to opioid analgesics for palliative care in India. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2002;24:152–159
  8. Rajagopal M, Joranson D. India: opioid availability—an update. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;33:615–627
  9. Mosoiu D, Mungiu O. Romania: changing the regulatory environment. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;33:610–614
  10. Krakauer R, Ngoc N. Vietnam: integrating palliative care into HIV and cancer care. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;33:578–583
  11. Jagwe J, Merryman A. Uganda: delivering analgesia in rural Africa: opioid availability and nurse prescribing. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;33:547–551
  12. Blengini C, Joranson DE, Ryan KM. Italy reforms national policy for cancer pain relief and opioids. Eur J Cancer Care. 2003;12:28–34
  13. Stjernsward J, Bruera E, Joranson D, et al. Opioid availability in Latin America. The declaration of Florianapolis. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1995;10:233–336
  14. Pain & Policy Studies Group. University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center. Opioid Availability in Latin America Description. Lima, Peru, 2008. Available from http://www.painpolicy.wisc.edu/publicat/monograp/peru08.pdf. Accessed January 14, 2009.
  15. De Lima L. Opioid availability in Latin America as a global problem: a new strategy with regional and national effects. J Palliat Med. 2004;7:97–103
  16. Colombian Ministry of Health. 5261 Resolution of 1994. Available from http://www.minproteccionsocial.gov.co/VBeContent/library/documents/DocNewsNo195211.pdf. Accessed November 15, 2007.
  17. Colombian Ministry of Health. 001478 Resolution of 2006. Available from http://www.alcaldiabogota.gov.co/sisjur/normas/Normal.jsp.old. Accessed November 15, 2007.
  18. Dahl J. Working with regulators to improve the standard of care in pain management: the U.S. experience. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2002;24:136–147
  19. Colombian Ministry of Health. National Competent Authority. Letter 0002, February 2008. Available from http://www.fne.gov.co/index.htm. Accessed October 21, 2008.
  20. Colombian Ministry of Health. National Competent Authority. Letter 011, April 23 2008. Available from http://www.fne.gov.co/index.htm. Accessed October 21, 2008.

 Disclosures: The cost of travel and lodging for the international participants to the workshop in Bogota was covered by their respective organizations (World Health Organization, Pain & Policy Studies Group, and International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care). The first author has received a grant from the Open Society Institute, which pays for the completion of an action plan to improve access to opioid availability in the country. Funding to support partial workshop costs was provided as an unconditional donation from the country offices of Janssen, Grunenthal, and Tecnofarma.

PII: S0885-3924(09)00705-2

doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.03.007

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume 38, Issue 5 , Pages 758-766 , November 2009

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