Government to increase access to painkillers for citizens with cancer

Bishkek, Aug.14, 2019. /Kabar/. Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Altynai Omurbekova held a meeting to develop a Plan of measures to increase access to anesthetic drugs for citizens with cancer and other diseases in need of palliative care, the Government’s press service reported.
At the meeting, it was noted that, owing to fear of inspections by law enforcement authorities, complex disposal processes, prescription procedures and other difficulties, pharmaceutical companies did not seek to sell such preparations in their pharmacies. Therefore, regulations for the control of pain medication need to be improved.
Preliminary monitoring in the regions revealed a number of problems in access to painkillers. This is the absence of pharmacies themselves.
To improve the access of citizens to such medicines, Omurbekova ordered to work with pharmaceutical companies to increase the number of pharmacies in rural and remote communities and create the necessary conditions for them.
The deputy prime minister instructed to develop amendments to the relevant regulations, complete the mapping of pharmacies and maintenance of the electronic population register of cancer patients, as well as to increase public awareness of the rights to receive cancer care.
In addition, it has been instructed to solve the existing problems of legal entities, selling painkillers and possible mechanisms for the purchase of cancer and drugs through accredited international organizations.
"All these changes will facilitate access to painkillers, which is especially important for citizens with cancer," Deputy PM Omurbekova concluded.