Lack of medication: Many pain patients now have to go to the hospital

The Society for Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine (ÖGARI) announced on Monday in a broadcast that this affects people with those drugs that have to be applied close to the spinal cord. Continuous pain therapy is particularly important for chronically multimorbid patients, emphasized the physician Rudolf Likar. “Many effective remedies are currently not available. These cannot be easily replaced either, because it is not always possible to switch to other preparations,” explained the head of the ÖGARI pain section. In addition to the supply problems of important medicines, medical devices such as pain pumps and pain catheters have also lost ce certification, he informed.

“Even though some innovative pharmacies produce painkillers themselves, there is unfortunately no substitute for opioids and medical devices in sight. Another hurdle in the care of pain patients is that certain drugs, such as certain cannabinoids, are not even approved in Austria, although they are these have a proven effect and are very well used internationally,” Likar said.

In the previous week, the Pain Society (ÖSG) had already expressed its “acute concern” about the shortage of medicines. Specialists from the Palliative Care Society (OPG) also went public because, among other things, opioid patches for terminally ill children are practically non-existent.