Following the launch earlier this year of the WHO guideline on balanced national controlled medicines policies to ensure medical access and safety, the WHO and BMJ Global Health have opened a call for papers for a dedicated topic collection, Access without excess: how to ensure safe, balanced access to controlled medicines around the world.

The collection aims to address persistent global inequities in the availability of opioid analgesics and other controlled medicines, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to highlight evidence-informed approaches to ensuring safe, equitable, and sustainable access. Review articles and original research are invited.

Submission deadline: 22 March 2026