Model Guidelines for the International Provision of Controlled Medicines for Emergency Medical Care

ABSTRACT

Because of the risk of abuse, some essential drugs are under strict international control. The export-import control measures applicable to narcotic drugs, for example, make the timely international transportation of opioid analgesics to sites of emergencies virtually impossible. Faced with this difficulty, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) agreed that there was an urgent need to find a practical solution to this problem. Through subsequent discussions at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in April 1996, and the World Health Assembly in May 1996, an international consensus was established to support the application of simplified export-import control procedures in emergency situations, in order to improve the accessibility of disaster-stricken peoples to controlled medicines. With regard to the actual mechanism of such a simplified procedure, WHO was invited to draw up Model Guidelines to assist national authorities.

This document has been developed through an international consultation participated by representatives of several national regulatory authorities, relevant UN agencies and organizations providing emergency medical supplies. As the word "model" implies, this document describes an example of simplified control procedures for the international provision of controlled medicines for emergency medical care. It may be necessary for national regulatory authorities to modify this model to meet their national requirements.