Malta’s palliative care gaps leave many patients without access to pain relief
Medical formulary restricts morphine access to limited conditions despite European guidelines recommending broader use
25/06/2025Patients with numerous incurable diseases in Malta are being denied access to essential palliative care medications, including morphine for pain relief, due to restrictive prescribing guidelines that medical professionals say need urgent updating.
The country’s most recent Outpatient Formulary List, published in May, permits doctors to prescribe morphine—either by injection or tablet—only to patients with Motor Neuron Disease (such as ALS), spinal cord pathologies including spina bifida, trigeminal neuralgia, and malignant diseases including various forms of cancer… Read more »