DOH announces additional outlets for morphine tablets

Morphine tablets are already available in 28 outlets nationwide, but the drug should be used exclusively in pain management for cancer patients, the Health Department has announced. A potentially addictive opiate drug, morphine remains under strict government regulation. However, a Department of Health (DOH) article posted Friday on its Website said that some P10 million worth of morphine tablets have been available since September 2009 in 28 outlets nationwide. The DOH said that the outlets include 26 DOH hospitals, one government hospital, and one non-government organization. "Pain management is one of the most important aspects of health care especially for those with chronic or terminal illnesses yet scores of Filipino patients are suffering from pain unnecessarily due to lack of accessibility and availability of opioid medicines such as morphine," the article said. Many poor cancer patients merely endure the pain because of the difficulty in gaining legal access to morphine, it added. The DOH further said that impediments in regulation, procurement, and knowledge and attitude on opioids often pose obstacles in the adequate use of the drug for medical purposes. The DOH procured some P10 million worth of morphine at the end of 2008, and turned them over to selected government hospitals and hospices in Metro Manila in February 2009. It added the drugs were distributed to at least 10 DOH hospitals by July 2009, and were increased to 16 DOH hospitals by September 2009. At the start of 2010, the morphine tablets are available in the following hospitals/institutions: * Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Sta. Cruz, Manila * Rizal Medical Center, Pasig City * East Avenue Medical Center, East Ave., Quezon City * UP -Philippine General Hospital, Taft Avenue, Manila * Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Project 4, Quezon City * Baguio General Hospital & Medical Center, Baguio City * Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital, Ilocos Norte * Batanes General Hospital, Basco, Batanes * Cagayan Valley Medical Center, Tuguegarao City * Veterans Memorial Hospital, Nueva Vizcaya * Jose B. Lingad General Hospital, San Fernando, Pampanga * Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, Cabanatuan City * Madre de Amor Hospice Foundation c/o Healthserve Los Baños, Inc., Laguna * Batangas Regional Hospital, Batangas City * Ospital ng Palawan, Puerto Prinsesa City * Bicol Regional Training & Teaching Hospital, Albay * Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Bacolod City * Western Visayas Medical Center, Iloilo City * Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, Bohol * Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu City * Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, Tacloban City * Zamboanga City Medical Center, Zamboanga City * Northern Mindanao Medical Center, Cagayan de Oro * Hilarion Ramiro Memorial Hospital, Ozamis City * Davao Medical Center, Davao City * Davao Regional Hospital, Davao City * Cotabato Regional & Medical Center, SOCCSKSARGEN * CARAGA Regional Hospital, Surigao City - LBG/TJD, GMANews.TV