WAYS TO OPTIMIZE THE SYSTEM OF REALIZATION OPIOID ANALGESICS BY PRESCRIPTION THROUGH PHARMACIES

Abstract

Opioid analgesic (OA) are essential medicines. However, today in many countries, including Ukraine, due to several reasons there is a problem with the availability of OA for medical need. Pharmacies are an integral part of the opioids supply system. In order to identify ways to optimize the system of prescription opioids and supply it through pharmacy the analysis of the normative documents regulating the supply OA through pharmacy, and information collected by questioning of 231 doctors from the 5 regions of Ukraine has been done. Results of the analysis indicate that in recent years' significant changes in legislation on turnover of OA have been made, and today the regulatory framework provided the ensuring patients with OA through pharmacies by prescriptions. It was found that today there are gaps in the Ukrainian legislative framework which regulated realization of OA through pharmacies; among the physicians there are: lack of knowledge of the current regulatory framework; prescription of opioids in accordance with established practice; wrong interpretation of the regulations of the turnover of OA. Ways to optimize the system of ensuring patients with opioids through pharmacies are: improving the legal framework (definition of the requirements for enterprise stamp, which certify the prescription for OA, increase the number of OA permitted for prescribing per prescription); raising awareness of health care workers on the legal requirements of the turnover of OA by thematic workshops, teleconferences, including the topics of the regulations of the turnover of OA in the course of post-graduate training of health care workers.

Keywords

• opioid analgesics, prescription, availability of opioids