According to new Regulations on Special Narcotic Drug Application Cards for Cancer Patients, the State Drug Administration (SDA) has authorized that cancer patients have now rights to choose whether they use narcotic drugs for pain management or not.
These regulations stipulate that doctors must place complete medical records on file for every cancer patient that they prescribe. Doctors record the patient?s medical history, illness and management of pain control as well as the drug?s name and dosage. Cancer patients will be provided with 80 different kinds of drugs to choose from for pain management.
Statistic shows that more than 1.6 million people get cancer in China each year, and about 1.3 million people die of it annually. Helping cancer patients suffering from pain is an aim of the SDA. However, cancer patients have not been encouraged to take opiates continuously in China. But experts believe that killing pain is the most important requirement for advanced cancer patients. The feeling of discomfort and drug dependence is also a natural consequence for advanced cancer patients.
In addition, in order to prevent narcotic drugs getting into illegal markets, the SDA further regulates their supervision and management.
(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan, March 28, 2003)
