Number

Title of Guideline

1

Governments should examine their drug control policies for the presence of overly restrictive provisions that may impact their health care system in the delivery of pain relief, and take corrective action as needed.

2

National drug control policies should recognize that opioids are absolutely necessary for medical care, in particular for relief of pain and suffering.

3

National drug control policies should recognize the obligation of governments to ensure adequate opioid availability for all medical and scientific needs.

4

Governments should designate an authority for ensuring adequate availability of opioids for medical care.

5

Governments should develop, using information from relevant sources, a practical method to estimate realistically the medical and scientific needs for opioids.

6

Governments should furnish to the INCB annual estimates of the quantities of narcotic drugs needed for medical and scientific purposes for the following year.

7

Governments should furnish a supplementary estimate to the INCB if it appears that the availability of narcotic drugs will fall short of medical needs, or to meet emergency needs or exceptional medical demand.

8

Governments should submit annual statistical reports to the INCB on the production, manufacture, trade, use and stocks of narcotic drugs.

9

Governments should establish a dialogue with health care professionals about the legal requirements for prescribing and dispensing narcotic drugs.

10

National drug control authorities and health care professionals should cooperate to ensure the availability of opioid analgesics for medical and scientific purposes, including for the relief of pain.

11

Governments should ensure, in cooperation with licensees, that the procurement, manufacture, and distribution of opioid medications is accomplished in a timely manner so that there are no shortages of supply, and that such medications are always available to patients when they are needed.

12

Governments should permit and encourage the distribution and availability of opioid medications throughout the country, in order to maximize physical access of patients to pain relief medications while maintaining adequate controls to prevent diversion and abuse.

13

Governments should establish and promote a national cancer control programme that includes cancer pain relief and palliative care as a priority for health care resources, including education about the WHO Analgesic Method and provision of pain relief and palliative care.

14

Terminology in national drug control policy should not have the potential to confuse the medical use of opioids for pain with drug abuse or drug dependence.

15

In their efforts to prevent diversion, governments should avoid undue restrictions impacting on patient care decisions which are ordinarily medical in nature. Such decisions as the amount of drug prescribed and duration of treatment should be made by the physician and be based on individual patient needs.

16

National drug control policy should avoid prescription requirements that may unduly restrict physician and patient access to pain relief.