22 October | 2:15 pm - 4:30 pm
The so called ‘controlled’ medicines, including many narcotics and psychotropics, are characterized by a dual nature: indispensable for health, yet potentially harmful if misused. Balancing access for medical use with prevention of misuse is a major challenge, which comes with global inequities. While the United States struggle to control what has been called the 'opioid overdose epidemic', millions of patients in low- and middle-income countries and conflict settings struggle with severe pain, simply because they lack access to morphine.
In this presentation, we will discuss the underlying causes of this global imbalance, which concerns also other controlled medicines used in anaesthesia, neurological conditions, opioid abuse disorders, and palliative care. We will explore the possible corrective actions across multiple disciplines – regulatory sciences, health and pharmaceutical systems, social sciences, human rights and the law. Special attention will be given to the role of collaborative research in addressing knowledge gaps and strengthening cross-country learning.
Raffaella Ravinetto
Raffaella Ravinetto is professor in Pharmaceutical Public Health and head of the Public Health Department at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, and an extraordinary professor at the School of Public Health, University of Western Cape, South Africa. A pharmacist by training, her professional experience encompasses commercial and non-commercial clinical research, humanitarian programmes, research and teaching on pharmaceutical policies and systems, and ethics review. Issues around equitable access to quality-assured health products, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities, are at the core of the work of her group.
Location
Campus Groenenborger, Campus Middelheim of Campus Drie Eiken
Registration opens on October 5