Postgraduate medical journal
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While opioid overuse is a public health crisis in the USA, opioid analgesics are used suboptimally in Central and Eastern Europe, causing many pain cases to remain untreated or undertreated. ⋯ Continuous medical education on cancer pain treatment should be provided to all specialists to ensure optimal opioid pharmacotherapy and avoid overprescribing or underprescribing opioids. Administrative restrictions are the main barrier to optimal pain treatment.