Open AccessAvailability and accessibility of opioids for pain and palliative care in Colombia: a survey study
Author(s) -
Marta León,
Miguel Antonio Sánchez-Cárdenas,
Luísa Campos,
Jairo Moyano,
Andrés López Velasco,
Oscar Gamboa Garay,
Lina Buitrago,
Liliana De Lima
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
colombian journal of anesthesiology/revista colombiana de anestesiología/revista colombiana de anestesiologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 9
eISSN - 2145-4604
pISSN - 0120-3347
DOI - 10.5554/22562087.e1011
Subject(s) - medicine , pharmacy , payment , authorization , medical prescription , health care , prior authorization , palliative care , family medicine , nursing , business , finance , computer security , computer science , economics , economic growth
Access to essential medicines, including opioids, is a component of the right to health.
Objective: To identify barriers to opioid availability and accessibility for pain and palliative care.
Methods: Online survey with Colombian prescribers. Availability barriers were analyzed for each facility (distribution and/or dispensing). Accessibility barriers were analyzed by type. Descriptive analyses were conducted using relative frequencies. Significance within categories and regions was measured using Fisher's exact test.
Results: Out of 1,208 prescribers invited, 806 (66.7%) completed the survey. Availability: 76.43% reported barriers. The most cited barrier was “Pharmacies authorized by health insurance companies”, where opioids are frequently unavailable. Accessibility: 74.6% reported barriers. Most frequently cited was “Difficulty securing payment authorization for medication from health insurance companies”. Significant differences were observed in terms of regions and “Cost” (p=0.02). Lack of coordination among procuring and distributing agencies affects availability. Limited awareness and bureaucratic procedures affect accessibility.
Conclusions: There are barriers to opioid availability and access in Colombia, related to the existing structure for guaranteeing equitable supply. From the perspective of healthcare providers, problems related to pharmacy availability, prescription and cost of medicines hinder pain treatment.