EHRN will take part in ATOME project with an aim to improve access to opioid medicines across Europe

February 25, 2010



About 1.7 million people in Europe die from cancer each year, many experiencing severe pain, even though effective pain medications exist. However, there is great variability across European countries in terms of legal controls of morphine and other opioids. This means that in some countries it is very difficult for doctors to prescribe pain management medicines. In other cases, physicians may be unfamiliar with prescribing this special class of medicine. On the other hand misperceptions around opioids and dependence can limit access not only to pain management but also treatment of drug dependence.

Launched in February, 2010 in Aachen, Germany, and co-led by the University of Aachen, Lancaster University (UK), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), a 5-year project “Access to Opioid Medication in Europe” (ATOME) funded by European Commission's 7th Framework Programme will address the legal, administrative and organisational barriers that impede access to pain management for treatment of cancer and other conditions in many European countries.



The project will undertake a national situational analysis in 12 European countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia) with regard to access to controlled medicines and provide external review of relevant national legislation as well as recommend, in compliance with the international drug conventions, appropriate amendments to governments in order to improve access for legitimate and rational use of controlled medicines. The aim of the project is to elaborate and introduce a research and monitoring tool for tracking and comparing the extent of per capita opioid availability in countries.



EHRN brings to the ATOME project a wide network of people involved in drugs field, including drug treatment providers, drug policy researchers, drug users (including those in opioid substitution therapy), grass-root organizations and advocacy groups in drugs field. In the project framework EHRN will take part in the revision of WHO Guidelines Achieving Balance in National Opioid Control Policy, coordinate the work of country teams to review barriers to opioid medication at national level and organize a six-country workshop. It will also assist in identification of national partners for Country Teams (including from drug treatment field and patients in drugs treatment, as well as representatives from drug policy coordination units and NGOs in the drugs field). EHRN will raise awareness about the project and disseminate its results through its network and information means.



Contacts:

Marija Subataite, Project Coordinator

Tel.: +370 5 2609007, 2691600

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it