Pioneering Nurse Prescribing Programme Brings Pain Relief To The Dying

Main Category: Palliative Care / Hospice Care
Also Included In: Pain / Anesthetics;  Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 07 May 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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Whilst the government is in consultation over amending the Misuse of Drugs Regulations to enable specially trained nurses and pharmacists to prescribe controlled drugs it should be considering the evaluation of a groundbreaking programme in Uganda that allows nurses to do prescribe morphine to dying patients to ease their pain. Professor Barbara Jack, from Edge Hill University, will be presenting the results of her evaluation of the programme to the Royal College of Nursing's Annual International Research Conference on Thursday 3 May.

Professor Jack's research has found that the Hospice Africa Uganda programme has made considerable difference to the lives of dying patients and their families. In Uganda there are approximately 18 doctors to treat around 100,000 people, which often led to patients suffering from AIDS and cancer being ostracised from their family because of their incessant screams of pains, due to no pain relief. In 2004 Hospice Africa Uganda developed a nine-month course to train nurses in prescribing morphine, so that more dying patients could experience pain relief.

Professor Jack embarked on the evaluation whilst visiting the Hospice Africa Uganda in 2006. She conducted qualitative research by interviewing students and members of the educational and clinical teams. Some nurses had initial concerns at the responsibilities around prescribing morphine; however Professor Jack found that these concerns eased once they saw the benefits they could bring to patients suffering severe pain. The supply and access to morphine in Uganda was noted as an ongoing problem.

'Pain in advanced cancer and aids can be effectively controlled but in many developing countries access to pain-relief for the dying is practically non-existent. Innovations such as the programme at Hospice Africa show how palliative care can be effectively transferred out of the western world,' said Professor Jack, Head of Research and Scholarship at Edge Hill University's Faculty of Health. 'This programme is vital to Ugandan people, as many more can now experience a peaceful end to life an impact that not only benefits patients and their families, but also the clinical teams who previously had to witness intense unnecessary suffering.'

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