Access to opioid analgesics for medical use at hospital level in the Democratic Republic of Congo: An exploratory mixed-method study.

Objective: To investigate the availability of and access to opioid analgesics at hospital level in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Methods: Exploratory mixed-method study combining a descriptive survey of the availability of opioid analgesics at hospital pharmacies with a qualitative survey that explored the experiences and perceptions of healthcare workers, managers, patients and caregivers, by means of a short questionnaire and of semi-structured interviews. The study was conducted in a convenience sample of 12 hospitals, located in five different provinces, in 2021.