[Regulation of the online sale of medical products: experiences and strategies for Latin AmericaRegulamentação da venda de produtos médicos pela internet: experiências e estratégias para a América Latina].

The objective of this special report is to present the advances in Latin America on regulation of the online sale of medical products and to offer guidance to national regulatory authorities (NRAs) on planning and implementing strategies to regulate and oversee the e-commerce of medical products. The regulatory advances and the programs and initiatives implemented in four Latin American countries to control the online sale of medical products are presented, including complementary reviews of the literature and reviews of e-commerce control programs of agencies of reference. Based on this review, the following strategies are proposed: strengthening the regulatory and policy framework; strengthening the capacity for oversight; collaboration with national and international authorities and other key players; and communication and awareness-raising with the community and health care professionals.

Barriers of Access to Opioid Medicines within the Context of Palliative Care in Latin America: The Perception of Health Professionals.

Different sets of barriers have been identified to explain the difficulties in the access and availability of opioid analgesics in palliative care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, including Latin America. To validate a structured questionnaire for the access to opioid medicines and to investigate the perception of health professionals regarding access barriers to opioid analgesics in 17 countries of the Latin American Region. Survey to identify the domains and barriers of access to opioid medicines according to health professionals, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists affiliated to institutions that provide palliative care in Latin America between August 2019 and October 2020.