Distressed coronavirus patients need swift treatment – the government should put any political dogma aside and change drug rules
The government needs to take a hard look at things like the use of morphine to make sure patients are getting what they need, writes Ian Hamilton
It seems to me that the home secretary, Priti Patel, has a case of "opiophobia", a phenomenon which gives you an exaggerated concern about the risks of using opiates like morphine to treat medical problems. What else would explain why a call from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to loosen the regulations on drugs like morphine has so far been ignored.
In its letter to the home secretary the RCGP highlights two problems their members are encountering. First patients who are in pain or experiencing severe breathlessness are not receiving medication like morphine in a timely way. Second drugs like morphine can currently only be given to named patients and any unused medication must be destroyed, even though there is a shortage of this medication in some areas.
Both examples point to the tight restrictions and cumbersome bureaucracy involved in prescribing and administering controlled drugs. Given the rapid way that some patients with coronavirus can deteriorate, time is of the essence in prescribing drugs like morphine to ensure the patient has some relief. Imagine how frustrating it is to be a clinician witnessing this, knowing you have the solution but not the right paperwork.
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