Undertreatment of pain and low use of opioids in Latin America. (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: García, César Amescua; Santos Garcia, Joao Batista; Rosario Berenguel Cook, María del; Colimon, Frantz; Flores Cantisani, José Alberto; Guerrero, Carlos; Rocío Guillén Núnez, María del; Hernández Castro, John Jairo; Kraychete, Durval Campos; Lara-Solares, Argelia; Lech, Osvandré; Rico Pazos, María Antonieta; Gallegos, Manuel Sempértegui; Marcondes, Lizandra Pattaro
• Is Part Of: Pain management. Volume 8:Number 3(2018)
• Page Start: 181
• Page End: 196
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: analgesics -- barriers -- Latin American -- opioids -- opio-ignorance -- opiophobia -- pain -- undertreatment; Pain -- Treatment -- Periodicals; 616.047205
• DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2017-0043
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1758-1869

Abstract

Pain is highly prevalent among the adult Latin American population. However, many patients with moderate to severe pain do not have access to effective pain management with opioids due to limited access to healthcare, overuse of nonopioid analgesics, regulatory barriers and lack of appropriate information about opioids. There is scarce training on use of opioids among physicians and other healthcare providers, which leads to misconceptions, mainly related to a fear of prescribing opioids. Although opioids are safe and effective drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain, the use of opioids in Latin American nations is clearly below standards compared with developed countries.