Government says its working on ways of establishing an enabling policy, legal and regulatory framework for the rational administering of a drug, morphine, to patients suffering from HIV/AIDS and cancer in both public and private hospitals.
Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa says there is need to make the drug available to patients that require it though it is heavily controlled by both domestic and international laws.
which restricts its distribution, prescription and dispensation of the drug to patients.
Mr. Shawa said this in a speech read for him by Lusaka Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Chinjili Zulu, when he officially opened a dissemination workshop for Morphine Factbook in Lusaka today.
He observed that the restrictive nature of morphine has cast fears on both health providers and patients from benefiting from the rational use of the drug in alleviating severe pain in patients.
Mr. Shawa said although, there is a number of proven palliative care drugs on the market, morphine has continued to be a drug of choice in pain management which he said is central to the care of chronically ill patients.
And speaking earlier, Lusaka Province Medical Officer, Dr Tackson Lambert said the Morphine fact book will be useful in dispelling myths and misconceptions that currently surround the usage of the drug.
Dr. Lambert said the book will also provide information to health care providers on how to access morphine for their patients including issues of its security and storage.
He recommended that the book should be made available to all authorized health facilities, legally prescribed health providers and duly registered pharmacies in government and private health facilities in the country.
ZANIS
Is this the same drug that Michael Jackson was addicted to and eventually killed him?
sorry that is not the drug that killed jackson. In zambia you should be carefull with what you give to HIV/AIDS PATIENTS I HAVE LIVED WITH HIV FOr THE PAST 15 YEARS I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT AND BLESS GOD THAT I LIVE IN LONDON- UK.
@ number 2, don’t you think it would have been more helpful if you shared what has made you live +ly for such a long time than just sounding alarms?
@ number 2, don’t you think it would have been more helpful if you shared what has made you live +ly for such a long time than just sounding alarms? I am sure your siren has raised more questions than answers. Please we prefer answers, helpful views!
#2, I dont think you are helping matters with the statement, “Thank God i live in the UK…”. Are you aware we have people here in Zambia who have lived that long with HIV? I feel that statement is retrogresive. Sorry, but thats my opinion.
#1, It is one of the many cocktail of drugs that MJ was addicted to. Under the trade name of Demerol, it has the same chemical composition as Morphine. As long as it is taken in correct dosage and also not alongside other drugs, the result can be fatal, as was the case with the pop king.
#5, Ba moze epomwaba?… Kulishani kumushi? Complements of the season!
Ba Moderator!!! Ine ndi bwino mudala. Kumunzi kuli che. Mvula maningi. Maybe this year we can have a true bumper harvest.