Are you a Health Professional? Jump over to the doctors only platform. Click Here

Australian pain sufferers disadvantaged

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

A shortage in the supply of analgesics has lead to an Australia wide problem for the treatment of pain with the drugs methadone and hydromorphone.

Australian hospital pharmacies received three days notice that injectable methadone would not be available until September this year, however pharmacists did receive one to two months notice in advance regarding the shortage of hydromorphone. Both analgesics are commonly used to treat pain. Clinical Pharmacist, Mr Phillip Roberts from St John of God Hospital, Subiaco told VMC, “This greatly reduces the options for pain management for cancer patients and palliative care patients”.Dr Andrew Dean, Medical Director of VMC and Palliative Care Consultant Physician at St John of God Hospital commented on this huge problem saying, “Currently Australian cancer patients requiring hydromorphone or injectable methadone are disadvantaged by lack of availability. Physicians are now limited to treatment with oral and injected morphine, oral oxycodone and transdermal fentanyl”.Recognition that many patients are intolerant of morphine due to side effects has lead to an increase in alternative opioid pain killers. Methodone and hydromorphone are able to provide excellent pain relief usually without the side effects associated with morphine.It is hoped that the pharmaceutical industry and the government will work as quickly as possible to rectify this situation.Virtualcancercentre.com provides a detailed description and explanation of pain management for cancer patients and palliative care patients.VCC Editor


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Dates

Posted On: 1 August, 2003
Modified On: 3 December, 2013

Tags



Created by: myVMC