Children's access to controlled medicines: policy lessons, intervention priorities, and a framework for action

Children face multiple challenges in accessing controlled medicines—defined here as any pharmaceutical product whose active principles are listed under the international drug Conventions—particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Although many barriers to accessing controlled medicines for children are known, there is a need for comprehensive, policy-driven, and system-level responses to address this global inequity. With a paucity of research on effective policy strategies for improving access to paediatric controlled medicines, transferrable policy lessons and expert guidance are crucial for informing such responses. This Health Policy purposively reviews relevant policy guidance and resources and highlights policy lessons from three low-income and middle-income countries (Uganda, India, and Costa Rica). Guided by key literature and the multidisciplinary expertise of the authors, it proposes research and intervention priorities and formulates a functional framework that outlines actionable levers for improving appropriate access to controlled medicines for children.