The June 24, 2006 issue of the Lancet includes an article co-authored by Dr. Daniela Mosoiu, director of Hospice Casa Sperantei in Romania, and members of the Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG). The article details a 3-year collaborative project to identify and remove regulatory barriers to pain relief by using the WHO guidelines to evaluate the Romanian anti-narcotics law that had been adopted in 1969 during the Ceausescu regime. A commission of Romanian pain and palliative care experts recommended changes to the law and prescribing regulations, with assistance from the PPSG. As a result, the Romanian Parliament has adopted a new law, and the Ministry of Health is currently finalizing new, simplified, regulations with approval expected later this year. This process could serve as a model for other nations to follow in order to improve access to pain relief in their countries.

A PDF version of the article, as well as press releases announcing its publication, can be accessed through the PPSG home page at www.medsch.wisc.edu/painpolicy