In collaboration with other organizations, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) recently developed a list of essential medicines for palliative care in response to a request from the Cancer Control Program of the World Health Organization (WHO). The request from WHO was to prepare a list based on the recommendation from palliative care experts, taking in consideration two criteria: Efficacy and Safety. The WHO will be carrying out the Cost Effectiveness analysis and evidence based reviews of the recommended medications.

To work on this proposal, IAHPC formed a working committee which included board members of IAHPC and external advisers from the field. The Committee developed a plan of action which included a modified Delphi process, a general survey among palliative care experts from around the globe, and a face to face meeting in Salzburg, Austria, with representatives from international palliative care and pain relief organizations.

Now that this task has been completed, the IAHPC has delivered its list to the WHO. The IAHPC list includes 34 medications of which 14 are already included in the WHO list as essential in the treatment of several conditions, some of which are common in palliative care.

Partnership organizations in this process:

African Palliative Care Association (APCA)
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)
Asia Pacific Hospice and Palliative Care Association (APHN)
Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians
Christian Medical College, Vellore - India
Eastern and Central Europe Palliative Care Task Force (ECEPT)
European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC)
European Federation of IASP Chapters (EAFIC)
European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO)
Help The Hospices - UK
Hospice Africa Uganda - Uganda
Hospice and Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA)
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
International Palliative Care Initiative - Open Society Institute
International Psycho Oncology Society (IPOS)
Latin America Association for Palliative Care (ALCP)
Li Ka Shing Foundation - China
Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)
National Association for Palliative Care (NHPCO)
National Council for Palliative Care - UK
Palliative Care Australia (PCA)
USA Department of Veterans Affairs
Velindre NHS Trust - UK
Vietnam CDC, Harvard Medical School AIDS Partnership (VCHAP)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Psychiatric Association (WPA) - Psycho Oncology Program

To read about the process followed to develop the IAHPC list of Essential Medicines for Palliative Care, click here

IAHPC Essential Medicines for Palliative Care List

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