Videos

LIFE BEFORE DEATH #10 -- Demand & Supply

Posted by Greg Schneider on July 25, 2011 at 7:57pm
Views: 7
Get Embed Code
Demand & Supply Short Film 10 of 50 in the LIFE Before Death documentary series about the global crisis in untreated pain and the dramatic life changing effect palliative care services can deliver to patients and their families around the world. In this Short Film we discover that millions of people are dying with pain everyday around the world and that part of the reason they are not receiving treatment is due to a lack of commercial incentive for big pharmaceutical companies. "If you were to ask yourself at the end of your own life -- if you were dying and you were in pain -- how long you would be willing to wait for somebody to come and deal with your pain," reflects hospice activist Eugene Murray (Ireland). "It would be minutes or hours, but for these people it's very often never." In Kampala, Uganda, Dr Henry Ddungu introduces us to pediatric patient Wasswa who has advanced Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphoid tissue, who had been experiencing severe pain. It wasn't until Wasswa was treated with oral morphine that his pain subsided and he could get back to the important business of being a kid -- running around, playing, sleeping, expressing affection to his mother. However his family are now concerned that Wasswa's pain will return due to a country-wide shortage of morphine in Uganda and surrounding countries. We discover that there is a great unmet need for morphine in Uganda. "Wasswa is one of the lucky few," explains Dr Ddungu. "It's kind of frustrating when you have a child in too much pain and you know what you can do, and you cannot. It's like you're tied. You cannot give them the medicine they need." Opium poppy manufacturer Jarrod Ritchie (Australia) stands before a mountain of opium poppy straw, strongly making the point that there is no shortage of raw materials in the world. "Supply is not an issue. Tasmania, at present, supplies over fifty per cent of the world's licit morphine," explains Mr Ritchie. "We've got plenty of land, plenty of irrigation capability here -- we can clearly supply more, but it needs a coordinated approach through a significant body such as the UN." Treat The Pain spokesperson Dr Meg O'Brien (USA) elaborates; "Part of the issue is that the demand is really fragmented with different countries buying from different companies." "The large pharma companies are driven by blockbuster type drugs that they can patent," continues Mr Ritchie. "That's where they get their significant returns from. It really not as high a priority for a lot of the larger companies given that most of their revenues are driven out of the large markets -- which is the US and the European markets." "Unfortunately, with morphine, it's off-patent," reflects Dr O'Brien. "So a lot of the production is happening in small companies who maybe have a smaller footprint in Africa than say a larger company would." "The stock out has been a real challenge for us," states Dr Ddungu. "The delays in the delivery of purchased morphine powder has been a big, big challenge. If it wasn't for that, all those children you hear crying now would be accessing that medicine." Featuring Eugene Murray (Ireland), Dr Henry Ddungu (Uganda), Jarrod Ritchie (Australia), Dr Meg O'Brien (USA), Wasswa (Uganda). LIFE Before Death comprises 50 short films themed around pain control and end of life issues, releasing one a week for a year from May 2011. A feature film will be released in late 2011, followed by the release of a television documentary in early 2012. The project is presented by the Lien Foundation and produced by Moonshine Movies. It is also supported by the International Association for the Study of Pain, The Mayday Fund, the Union for International Cancer Control and The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice International Programs. To Find Out More visit www.TreatThePain.com

You need to be a member of Hospice Community Forum to add comments!

Join Hospice Community Forum

Comments

This reply was deleted.
E-mail me when people leave their comments –
Follow
 

Blog Posts

CAREGIVERS STORE

Just Published!!
by Rashani Rea & Kathy Douglas

Those who companion suffering daily, such as hospice nurses and volunteers, will surely appreciate this beautiful work. With 62 original art collages by Rashani Réa, five beautiful chapters by Kathy Douglas, and a foreword by Jean Watson, this exquisite book is a peaceful refuge for contemplation, inquiry, reflection and inspiration for those who traverse the joys and sorrows of nursing.

Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA is a nationally recognized nurse leader, filmmaker and entrepreneur. 

Rashani Réa is a prolific artist and musician, a creatrice of sanctuaries and a respected spiritual mentor.

“This is a beloved book and beyond a book. It is an evocative, poetic, ecstatic, and inspirited sacred, experiential calling. A calling to you--YES, YOU.” 

— Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, Living Legend (AAN)

“Those who companion suffering daily need to turn inward to metabolize what they have witnessed. This exquisite book, filled with beautiful images and poetic wise words, is the inspiration and support needed to grow a wise heart.” 

— Frank Ostaseski, founder and director of the Metta Institute and author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully

“In this unique time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book should be considered a tribute to the tremendous courage being displayed by nurses around the world. There is much wisdom conveyed throughout by those who have been there serving others with such grace.” 

— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care 

Buy Now