Millions suffer without access to controlled medicines, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries where even the most basic pain management is often out of reach. Amongst the barriers of access to controlled medicines are the attitudes of health professionals, especially doctors, the fear of diversion and non-medical use, which can lead to dependence. Changing these barriers require a new generation of health professionals, well trained and sensitized, so that they are aware of the great suffering caused by the limited availability and access to controlled medicines, especially for the management of pain, while feeling confident to prescribe rationally to prevent diversion and non-medical use.
UNODC established a network of young doctors to be agents of change and influence policies to ensure no patient is left behind in pain. The UNODC Young Doctors Network is a platform to provide young doctors with the skills and knowledge they would need to advocate effectively.
The first webinar of UNODC Young Doctors Network gathered several doctors in their early career to discuss the need for controlled medicines to manage pain and other medical conditions. Dr. Eric Krakauer from Harvard Medical School, described the immense gaps in pain management resources, gaps rooted in both history and policy. He traced over-restrictive opioid regulations which have created a lingering fear that trickles down to doctors, pharmacists, and policymakers. To address this, he called for national reforms, better distribution networks, and affordable solutions for low-resource countries, urging that pain relief be made available not just in hospitals but in communities and homes where people need it most, while preventing diversion and non-medical use.
The second speaker, Dr. Katherine Pettus from the International Hospice and Palliative Care Association took the group deeper into the heart of advocacy. She described how witnessing patient suffering requires doctors to extend their work beyond the clinic and into the public sphere, where their stories could drive change. The ethic of “non-abandonment,” she explained, compels doctors not only to treat but to stand up for their patients, helping to reshape policies from within powerful institutions. Advocacy, she reminded them, is a bridge connecting clinical care to real change.
As the group moved into discussion, voices rose in agreement. There was consensus that young professionals have a crucial role in transforming healthcare policy. Some emphasized the need to make the economic case for pain management, recognizing that arguments about reducing healthcare costs can make advocacy more persuasive to policymakers. Others noted that many junior doctors, especially in poorer regions, aren’t even aware of their potential to drive change, underscoring the importance of raising awareness within the field.
The webinar ended with an agreed action plan to take the voices of the Network to global stages, from the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to the World Health Assembly, bringing much-needed attention to the crisis of untreated pain.
