Romania: Changing the Regulatory Environment

Abstract

Access to the necessary medications for palliative care, especially opioids, is an essential part in the development of a national palliative care program. In November 2005, Romania's Parliament adopted new legislation concerning the medical use of opioids and psychotropic substances to replace the old and restrictive legislation of 1969. The new law and regulations are the result of a four-year project in which governmental authorities collaborated with health care professionals and international experts. The World Health Organization "Achieving Balance in National Opioids Control Policy--Guidelines for Assessment" was used to propose balanced legislation that would facilitate modern pain management and provide adequate control of these substances with the potential for abuse. A national education program to facilitate the implementation of the new legislation has been organized. The training started in November 2006 and will continue throughout 2007. It is anticipated that at least 3,000 doctors and 500 pharmacists will attend these courses.

The individual and societal burden of chronic pain in Europe: the case for strategic prioritisation and action to improve knowledge and availability of appropriate care

“…Significant progress has also been made in some Eastern European countries, e.g. Romania and Serbia, in replacing restrictive legislation, improving access and instituting appropriate medical education [128,129]. …”

Pain and Policy Studies Group: Two Decades of Working to Address Regulatory Barriers to Improve Opioid Availability and Accessibility Around the World

“…PPSG continued its engagement with the Romanian project by participating in a newly formed Curriculum Planning Committee, which included experts in palliative care and pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin, to develop a training of trainers program to reach physicians and pharmacists throughout the country. 43…”

Palliative Care Personnel and Services: A National Survey in Thailand 2012

“…In developed countries, available, appropriately trained personnel are deemed essential to achieving high-quality palliative care (5,6); this is the recommended norm (7). Palliative care training programs for healthcare workers and volunteers have been found to play an important role in the success that many countries have attained in palliative care provision (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). The World Health Organization has recommended that low-and middle-income countries provide undergraduate palliative care training in medical and nursing schools, basic training of 20 to 40 hours' duration for healthcare providers in primary and community-level hospitals, intermediate-level training of 60 to 80 hours for doctors and nurses who care for cancer patients in district and tertiary hospitals, and specialized training of 3 to 6 months for members of specialized teams and palliative care units (14).…”

“…We must also incorporate it into the national health plan and all related policies (19). Many countries have reported success with this strategy (11,13,(21)(22)(23). The NHSO, Thailand's national body of health policy makers and funding sources, has promoted palliative care as practised in hospital networks, not in individual hospitals.…”