JUNE 2, 2025
A newly released rapid communication from the WHO outlines its upcoming comprehensive new guideline on balanced national policies for controlled medicines, a strategy the agency hopes will lead to better access of controlled substances needed for pain treatment and management across the globe.
The guideline’s recommendations, officially presented at the 2025 World Health Assembly, “are designed to support countries in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable access to essential
A newly released rapid communication from the WHO outlines its upcoming comprehensive new guideline on balanced national policies for controlled medicines, a strategy the agency hopes will lead to better access of controlled substances needed for pain treatment and management across the globe.
The guideline’s recommendations, officially presented at the 2025 World Health Assembly, “are designed to support countries in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable access to essential controlled medicines,” critical to the treatment of acute and chronic pain, mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and other serious health issues, according to the WHO, in a press release.
“The suffering caused by lack of safe, affordable access to controlled medicines is both preventable and unacceptable,” said Yukiko Nakatani, the WHO assistant director-general, Access to Medicines and Health Products, in her opening remarks. “This guideline is a critical step toward achieving universal health coverage. It enables governments to strike the right balance between access and safety, ensuring that no patient is left behind. This guideline is not just about regulation; it’s about restoring dignity to care.”
However, access remains uneven globally. Factors limiting many patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in their ability to obtain necessary treatments include overly restrictive drug control policies and a lack of training for healthcare professionals. The WHO release cited 2021 data showing more than 80% of the world’s morphine was distributed to high-income countries, “leaving roughly 5.5 million terminal cancer patients and millions of others suffering from acute illness and end-of-life suffering in LMICs.”
Key highlights of the upcoming guideline include:
• ensuring accurate and timely quantification of controlled medicines based on current consumption and projected needs;
• banning misleading and unethical marketing practices;
• strengthening procurement and supply chain systems using appropriate tools and technologies to enhance traceability, reduce stockouts and waste, and ensure equitable distribution;
• enabling local production where feasible;
• facilitating continuous access to opioid agonist treatment in all clinically needed settings; and
• promoting robust training for healthcare professionals and public education campaigns for safe, informed use.
The full guideline document of the “WHO Guideline on Balanced National Controlled Medicines Policies to Ensure Medical Access and Safety” is scheduled to debut online in June 2025.
Based on a press release from the WHO.
