The Commission for Suppressing the Abuse of Narcotic Drugs, chaired by the Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dubravka Bošnjak, agreed to move remifentanil from the category of completely prohibited substances to the group of substances under strict supervision.
– This decision removes a key obstacle for the medical use of remifentanil, while maintaining all prescribed monitoring measures in accordance with the current legislation regulating the control of narcotic drugs in Bosnia and Herzegovina – announced the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They state that remifentanil is a potent, short-acting opioid analgesic used in anesthesiology for highly precise pain control. Due to its extremely fast onset and cessation of action, it is particularly useful in demanding anesthetic procedures, including cardioanesthesia and neuroanesthesia, where it enables dynamic and precise pain treatment in accordance with the patient’s needs.
– By removing a key obstacle to the medical use of remifentanil under strict supervision, we raise the standards of safety and quality of health care. In the member states of the European Union, remifentanil has long been present in clinical practice as a strictly controlled drug for use in anesthesiology in hospital conditions and under a special monitoring regime – said Bošnjak.
In a similar way, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently adopted an amendment to the List of Narcotic Drugs, which removed the basic legal obstacle to the medical use of cannabis, with a clearly prescribed restriction on pharmaceutical preparations and use based on a doctor’s prescription.
– Also, after a 14-year delay in updating the List of Narcotic Drugs, the Commission agreed on amendments that include the inclusion of 112 new psychoactive and psychotropic substances, in accordance with the official lists of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). These are substances that carry a high risk of overdose, acute intoxication, amnesia and respiratory depression. Their inclusion enables legal control and prevention of illegal distribution, as well as a clear legal basis for sanctioning.
Considering the continuous appearance of new psychoactive substances, it is of particular importance that the legislative framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains up-to-date and harmonized with international standards – the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina points out. Factor.
