Published on: September 30, 2024

Patients often have a difficult time getting pain relief because of a phobia that medical institutes have around storing and dispensing of Essential Narcotics Drugs, made worse by myths that surround opioids and also the logistical challenges in the supply chain and storage.

In an initiative to overcome these challenges and extend their support to all medical institutes of the state, Shri D. R. Ghahane, Joint Commissioner – FDA (Food & Drugs Administration) Maharashtra, initiated a session for the entire department. Pallium India collaborated with the department to organise this virtual session on Aug 30th 2024.

Most palliative care centers in Maharashtra were able to participate and share their thoughts. The retired Kerala Drug Controller, Shri K.J. John, who is also a volunteer with Pallium India, graced the session with his presence, and highlighted best practices and greatly enhanced the sharing between the two states.

76 participants attended the workshop, including officials from the Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) department and other stakeholders within Maharashtra.

The session concluded with the Q&A session which was quite enriching and interactive.

The participants discussed various challenges and issues related to opioid usage and accountability. Shri Gahane assured the participants that the process of RMI will be expedited. He shared his contact number with the forum and requested all to reach him in case they faced any issues related to RMI. This session left participants feeling reassured, and was another step in the right direction to build awareness about opioids and understanding the subject in a much better way.

(Report prepared by Sunanda Samal, Regional Facilitator, Pallium India.)