E-DRUG: WHO Criticized for Withdrawing Guidelines on Access to Controlled Medications
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A coalition of international palliative care organizations is
protesting a decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) to
withdraw Ensuring Balance, a policy guideline on access to controlled
medications, and a guideline for treating chronic pain in children.
Last Friday 12 July, over 100 organisations published a joint position
statement on the withdrawal by WHO of both guidelines:
[1]
http://globalpalliativecare.org/who-withdrawal-of-guidance-documents/.
Those who are interested in the topic, may also want to read this blog:
[2] https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2019/7/13/who-criticized-for
-withdrawing-opioid-guidelines.
The withdrawal seems to be unjustified, because not any person or
organisation involved was contacted by WHO for further investigation of
allegations made. The EU, the Netherlands and France invested quite a
sum of money in the first guideline.
The preparation of new replacing
guidelines will require several hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Although WHO Director-General Dr Tedros promised to replace the
guidelines soon, it is questionable that WHO has so much budget
available for doing so.
References
1. http://globalpalliativecare.org/who-withdrawal-of-guidance-documents/
2. https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2019/7/13/who-criticized-for-withdrawing-opioid-guidelines
3. mailto:wk.scholten@xs4all.nl
Best regards,
Willem Scholten
Willem Scholten PharmD MPA
Consultant - Medicines and Controlled Substances
Wielsekade 64
3411 AD Lopik, the Netherlands
Willem Scholten <wk.scholten@xs4all.nl>