Journal of pain and symptom management
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In India, a million people with cancer and an unknown number of people with other incurable and disabling diseases, need opioids for pain relief. Only about 0.4% of the population in need have access to them. Major barriers to access to opioids are complicated regulations and problems related to attitude and knowledge regarding pain relief and opioids among professionals and the public. ⋯ Establishment of simple standard operating procedures to implement the simplified regulations, advocacy, and improved education of professionals are essential for further improvement of the situation. The past decade has demonstrated that government policy can be changed if palliative care enthusiasts work in tandem with the government. The progress has been slow, but real and encouraging.
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Good policies lay the groundwork for an effective health care system and society. They facilitate the implementation of palliative care programs aimed at providing care for all people in need of these services, and they ensure equitable access to affordable medications and therapies. The lack of good policies can lead to unnecessary suffering and costs for patients, families, and society. ⋯ Ideally, palliative care is incorporated as a priority within all aspects of each country's national health plan, so that all patients living with or dying from any chronic disease may have their suffering relieved, including children and the elderly. To this end, policies that address essential medicines must include a list of palliative care medications. Supplies of affordable, generic medications that are "equally efficient" must be adequate and available throughout the country wherever patients live (especially opioids for pain control).
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2007
ReviewPalliative medicine teaching program at the University of Cape Town: integrating palliative care principles into practice.
The article describes the development of the postgraduate palliative medicine programs at the University of Cape Town (UCT) through collaboration with the Palliative Medicine Division from the University of Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff, United Kingdom. The course is presented as a distance-learning program supported by web-based learning with three face-to-face teaching sessions during the course. ⋯ Using the experience from UCT in distance-learning programs, the Hospice Palliative Care Association developed an interdisciplinary course, "Introduction to Palliative Care." This course recognizes that, although improvement in patient care and palliative care will come as undergraduate training in palliative care is established, it is essential that previously qualified health care professionals are able to enhance their palliative care knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Trainers provide support to participants over a six-month period and assist in the transference of knowledge and skills into the workplace.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2007
ReviewThe Asia Pacific hospice Palliative Care Network: supporting individuals and developing organizations.
The Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network is a network of individuals and organizations involved in hospice and palliative care in Asia and the Pacific. It currently has 938 members in 28 countries, of whom 793 are individual members and 145 are organizations. ⋯ Education and training is provided through the services of faculty from countries with better developed palliative care services. A diploma course has also been developed in response to regional needs.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2007
ReviewVietnam: integrating palliative care into HIV/AIDS and cancer care.
Vietnam is struggling to meet the growing need for both disease-modifying and palliative care for people with life-threatening chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. Recently, Vietnam initiated rapid development of a national palliative care program for HIV/AIDS and cancer patients that builds on existing palliative care programs and experience and integrates palliative care into standard HIV/AIDS and cancer care. National palliative care guidelines have been issued by the Ministry of Health based on a rapid situation analysis. Plans now call for review and revision of opioid laws and regulations to increase availability of opioids for medical use, training in palliative care for clinicians throughout the country, and development of palliative care programs both in the community and in inpatient referral centers.