World Health Organization 20, Avenue Appia

Social support
Medicines
a
 
Equipment
 
Human resources
b
 
Prevention and relief 
of pain or other 
physical suffering,
d
acute or chronic
Amitriptyline, oral
Bisacodyl (senna), oral
Dexamethasone, oral and 
injectable
Diazepam, oral and 
injectable
Diphenhydramine 
(chlorpheniramine, 
cyclizine, or 
dimenhydrinate), oral 
and injectable
Fluconazole, oral
Fluoxetine (sertraline or 
citalopram), oral
Furosemide, oral and 
injectable
Haloperidol, oral and 
injectable
Hyoscine butylbromide, oral 
and injectable
Ibuprofen (naproxen, 
diclofenac or 
meloxicam), oral
Lactulose (sorbitol or 
polyethylene glycol), oral
Loperamide, oral
Metaclopramide, oral and 
injectable
Metronidazole, oral, to be 
crushed for topical use
Morphine, oral immediate 
release and injectable
Naloxone, injectable
Omeprazole, oral
Ondansetron, oral and 
injectable
f
Oxygen 
Paracetamol, oral
Petroleum jelly
Pressure-reducing 
mattresses
Nasogastric drainage and 
feeding tubes
Urinary catheters
Opioid lock boxes
Flashlights with 
rechargeable batteries 
(if no access to 
electricity)
Adult diapers or cotton 
and plastic
Doctors (with basic 
palliative care training)
Nurses (with basic 
palliative care training)
CHWs (if available)

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21
A WHO guide for planners, implementers and managers
Prevention and relief of 
psychological suffering,
e
acute or chronic
Amitriptyline, oral
Dexamethasone, oral and 
injectable
Diazepam, oral and 
injectable
Diphenhydramine 
(chlorpheniramine, 
cyclizine or 
dimenhydrinate), oral 
and injectable
Fluoxetine (sertraline or 
citalopram), oral
Haloperidol, oral and 
injectable
Lactulose (sorbitol or 
polyethylene glycol), oral
Adult diapers or cotton 
and plastic
Doctors (with basic 
palliative care training)
Nurses (with basic 
palliative care training)
Social workers, 
psychologists, grief 
counsellors, or trained 
and supervised lay 
counsellors
CHWs (if available)
Prevention and relief of 
social suffering, acute or 
chronic
Income and in-kind 
support
c
Social workers
CHWs (if available)
Prevention and relief of 
spiritual suffering
Local spiritual counsellors
 
a
Based on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines 2015 
(43). Acceptable alternative medicines are in parentheses: ( ).
b
Doctors may be general practitioners, family doctors, paediatricians, clinical officers or assistant doctors, or others.
c
Only for patients living in extreme poverty and for one caregiver per patient. Includes cash transfers to cover housing, children’s school 
tuition, transportation to health care facilities or funeral costs; food packages; and other in-kind support (blankets, sleeping mats, shoes, 
soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste).
d
Other physical suffering includes breathlessness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarhhoea, constipation, pruritus, bleeding, wounds and 
fever. 
e
Psychological suffering includes anxiety, depressed mood, confusion or delirium, dementia and complicated grief.
f
Only in hospitals that provide cancer chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Sources: Knaul et al. 2017 (1); Krakauer et al. 2018 (7).