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Palliative care in Ukraine — formation and development
Affiliations- Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, Pekarska str. 75b, 79010 Lviv, Ukraine
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Abstract
The results of research of the Association of Palliative and Hospice Care and the Ukrainian Palliative and
Hospice Care League show that every year at least 600 thousand people with incurable illnesses (cancer,
HIV/AIDS, diabetes, tuberculosis) need palliative care. However, nowadays the realization of the right to a
dignified death for incurable patients is somewhat difficult because of numerous problems of legislative,
organizational, technical, personnel and moral-ethical nature, lack of funds for proper medical care, including
a shortage of palliative care institutions in Ukraine. Based on the analysis of the provision of Ukraine
by palliative care institutions, it has been established that as of June 1.2017, their bed fund is about 1,500
beds, which is just over one-third of the needs recommended by the World Health Organization.
Therapy of pain syndrome is a significant problem for patients in Ukraine, which due to a number of factors
such as limited availability of patients to analgesic drugs, complicated system of licensing conditions for
healthcare facilities and pharmacies regarding to the storage and use of controlled substances (opioids
and psychotropic medicines), and the reluctance of such establishments to obtain a license, lack of appropriate
skills and experience in the treatment of chronic pain, the fear of doctors to prescribe high doses
of opioids often lead to inadequate analgesia. In Ukraine morphine in tablets and in syrup was registered
in 2013 and in 2017, respectively, and in 2016 oxycodone was registered.
Palliat Med Pract 2018; 12, 3: 135–142
Abstract
The results of research of the Association of Palliative and Hospice Care and the Ukrainian Palliative and
Hospice Care League show that every year at least 600 thousand people with incurable illnesses (cancer,
HIV/AIDS, diabetes, tuberculosis) need palliative care. However, nowadays the realization of the right to a
dignified death for incurable patients is somewhat difficult because of numerous problems of legislative,
organizational, technical, personnel and moral-ethical nature, lack of funds for proper medical care, including
a shortage of palliative care institutions in Ukraine. Based on the analysis of the provision of Ukraine
by palliative care institutions, it has been established that as of June 1.2017, their bed fund is about 1,500
beds, which is just over one-third of the needs recommended by the World Health Organization.
Therapy of pain syndrome is a significant problem for patients in Ukraine, which due to a number of factors
such as limited availability of patients to analgesic drugs, complicated system of licensing conditions for
healthcare facilities and pharmacies regarding to the storage and use of controlled substances (opioids
and psychotropic medicines), and the reluctance of such establishments to obtain a license, lack of appropriate
skills and experience in the treatment of chronic pain, the fear of doctors to prescribe high doses
of opioids often lead to inadequate analgesia. In Ukraine morphine in tablets and in syrup was registered
in 2013 and in 2017, respectively, and in 2016 oxycodone was registered.
Palliat Med Pract 2018; 12, 3: 135–142
Keywords
palliative care, opioids, hospice, pain relief
About this articleTitle
Palliative care in Ukraine — formation and development
Journal
Palliative Medicine in Practice
Issue
Article type
Review paper
Pages
135-142
Published online
2018-10-25
Page views
939
Article views/downloads
880
DOI
Bibliographic record
Palliat Med Pract 2018;12(3):135-142.
Keywords
palliative care
opioids
hospice
pain relief
Authors
Sofiya Shunkina
Bohdan Hromovyk
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