Advancing opioid stewardship in low-middle-income countries: challenges and opportunities
Jadhari, Rojita, Pathak, Nabin, Shrestha, Rajeev, Shrestha, Sunil, KC, Bhuvan, Gan, Siew Hua, and Paudyal, Vibhu (2024) Advancing opioid stewardship in low-middle-income countries: challenges and opportunities. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, 17 (1). 2345219.
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Abstract
The increased utilization of opioids in low– and middle-income countries (LMICs) presents a growing threat of opioid-related abuse, misuse and diversion. Pharmacists, as integral members of healthcare teams, are responsible for dispensing and monitoring opioid use and hold a pivotal role in opioid stewardship within LMICs. This commentary describes the potential and multifaceted roles of pharmacists in opioid stewardship in resource-constrained settings and highlights appropriate strategies for promoting responsible opioid utilization. Opioid stewardship involves prioritising evidence-based prescribing, management and practices for pain management. It includes measures such as incorporating prescription drug monitoring programmes for appropriate opioid prescription, implementing safe disposal through drug take-back programmes, promoting non-opioid pain management, addressing the opioid addiction stigma, tapering opioid dose, educating patients and caregivers, establishing drug information centers, providing rehabilitative services and integrating collaboration with communities and experts. The combined difficulties of restricted access to healthcare resources and services coupled with low levels of literacy worsen the susceptibility to opioid abuse, misuse, and diversion in LMICs. Early detection, assessment and implementation of interventions to optimise opioid use are imperative for ensuring safe and effective opioid utilization, thereby mitigating the risks of overdose and addiction. The involvement of pharmacists in promoting safe and effective opioid utilization through education, monitoring, collaboration, and policy advocacy serves as a critical component in bridging existing gaps in opioid stewardship within LMICs.
| Item ID: | 87541 |
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| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 2052-3211 |
| Keywords: | Low-and middle-income countries, Opioid stewardship, Opioids, Pharmacist |
| Copyright Information: | © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Dec 2025 00:35 |
| FoR Codes: | 32 BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL SCIENCES > 3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences > 321499 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences not elsewhere classified @ 70% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4206 Public health > 420699 Public health not elsewhere classified @ 30% |
| SEO Codes: | 20 HEALTH > 2003 Provision of health and support services > 200399 Provision of health and support services not elsewhere classified @ 100% |
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