ABSTRACT
Public confidence in the medical profession in particular has been rocked by a series of scandals that have been widely reported in the press, including: the Bristol case, the Alder Hey case, and the Shipman case. Harold Shipman graduated from the University of Leeds, England, in 1970. The publicity surrounding the conviction of Harold Shipman on several counts of murder led to a series of articles in the medical press speculating on how it might change areas of medical practice. The concept of Opiophobia' was first coined in America to describe the customary under-utilisation of opioid analgesics. The prevalence of opiophobia among healthcare professionals and society in general continues to act as a barrier to effective pain relief in palliative care across most cultures. An honest exposure of opiophobia should form a key part of educational programmes for both patients and professionals.
