Painkillers are a set of medications used to control or manage pain. They play a crucial role in our daily lives and help improve the quality of life for victims of pain. Individuals affected by pain usually take painkillers. These drugs, sometimes known as analgesics, help to reduce the intensity of pain or even eliminate pain permanently. The resultant impact of good pain control is that an individual becomes both stable physically and mentally. This helps a normal body function. Lack of adequate quantity and quality of painkillers on the market can have negative health consequences. One of them is increased discomfort or continuous suffering or the occurrence of chronic pain as seen in people with chronic illnesses. For example, cancer patients with pain need a wide range of painkillers to control their situation on a regular basis. Even in situations of acute pain as seen in traumatic incidents such as road traffic accidents, patients need to be managed by a wide range of painkillers before or after surgery. Therefore, scarcity of pain killers on the market can lead to the use of less effective or inappropriate pain control measures or management strategies with negative treatment outcomes for patients. It also has an overall negative health impact on the population and leads to reduced quality of life in the long run. Devastating negative health consequences usually arise from poor pain control management policies set by the concerned health authority. Some of the common health conditions that may arise because of poor pain control include impaired immune function, anxiety, ischemia, to mention a few. Recently, the Rwanda Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the suspension of some painkillers that included paracetamol and diclofenac. Other medicinal products were suspended from the market. In a statement issued on June 11, 2025, Rwanda FDA revealed that a post-marketing survey detected unauthorized brands of medications sold from pharmaceutical stores across the country. Drugs in question include Diclofenac sodium, paracetamol, chlorpheniramine maleate, and magnesium trisilicate. The statement from the regulator further reads that all importers, distributors, and retail pharmacies are required to cease the dispensing and distribution of Relief tablets, emphasizing that the use of unauthorized medicines poses serious health risks. The Authority further reminded stakeholders that the importation, distribution of unapproved drugs is illegal and punishable by the law. The authority plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of drugs available to the public. It regularly reviews, analyses and approves new drugs or medical devices, and monitors their safety before and after they are made available to the public. Both Diclofenac and paracetamol have been widely used for pain control over the decades. They relieve pain in a wide range of health conditions like muscle pain, bone pain, headache, arthritis, injuries among others to mention but a few. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug just like ibuprofen. They are widely used for pain management. Both drugs work by inhibiting enzymes that produce prostaglandins a substance responsible for inflammation and pain in the body. These drugs are usually very effective in treating conditions that involve inflammation such as muscle or skeletal injuries. In modern healthcare systems, accurate evaluation of pain for a patient offers the most effective treatment outcomes. Shortage of painkillers limits accurate assessment and pain control measures. It is therefore important to note that increased availability of painkillers is essential to the population’s overall health. It improves pain management and in turn promotes a better quality of life for patients. All pain management medications have certain side effects and limitations. This should make healthcare providers more vigilant about patient safety and satisfaction. In my view the Rwanda FDA need to review the options available carefully to avoid possible shortage of painkillers on market.
