Italy lagging on pain therapy

(ANSA) - Pisa, October 20 - Italy was criticized at a conference in Pisa on Thursday for having fallen far behind other nations in pain treatment.
    The conference focuses on pain therapy and the most important experts on the subject at the national level are taking part. Domenico Gioffrè noted that "Law 38 of 2010 did not live up to the expectations of those who thought it would be enough to enshrine a right to be treated for pain and in the final phases of life with access to palliative treatment". He added that the law had changed little and that "there are not nearly enough high-level facilities able to provide services using innovative technology. This is why those ill continue to migrate towards specific, well-known hospitals in the center-north." Italy, the conference noted, "is at the bottom of the rankings in terms of use of effective opioids in severe pain treatment, and spending on this analgesic pharmaceuticals is four times less than non-steroid anti-inflammatory medicine.
    Spending in Italy is 1.60 euros (per capita, Ed.), while the average in Europe is almost 5 euros and in Germany about 10 euros".