Ley 1733 de 2014: palliative care
- Law
The Colombian law giving people with terminal or serious chronic illness the right to palliative care and to refuse unnecessary treatment.
What it is
Law 1733 of 2014, known as the Consuelo Devis Saavedra Law, regulates palliative care services for people with terminal, chronic, degenerative and irreversible illness with a high impact on quality of life. It recognises the right to receive this care, to information, to a second opinion, to take part in decisions and to sign the Documento de Voluntad Anticipada. It requires health insurers (EPS) to guarantee palliative care in their network and to make opioids for pain accessible.
Key articles
- Art. 1: purpose: the right of people with terminal, chronic, degenerative and irreversible illness to palliative care and to forgo unnecessary medical treatment.
- Art. 2: defines the terminally ill patient (serious, progressive, irreversible disease with a near fatal prognosis, not responding to curative treatment); the paragraph allows a second opinion to be requested.
- Art. 3: defines chronic, degenerative and irreversible illness with a high impact on quality of life.
- Art. 4: defines palliative care: care for the best quality of life of the patient and family (pain, symptoms, psychological, family and spiritual support).
- Art. 5: rights: palliative care, clear information, a second opinion, signing the DVA, taking part in the care plan, rules for children and adolescents, and family decision if the adult is unconscious.
- Arts. 6 and 7: duties of EPS and IPS (providers): a palliative care network and trained staff.
- Art. 8: availability of and access to controlled opioids for pain.
- Arts. 10 and 11: the Ministry of Health was to regulate the law within six months; it took effect on enactment.
In clinical practice
- Palliative care is not only for the last days: it can start from the diagnosis of a serious illness.
- If a patient with advanced disease has no access to palliative care, the law obliges their EPS to guarantee it.
- Lack of access to opioids for pain is a barrier the law calls for removing.
Status and official text
- Official text checked on 2026-11-05 in the official legal compilation of the Superintendencia Nacional de Salud; site cited: funcionpublica.gov.co.
- Published in Diario Oficial 49,268 of 8 September 2014. Before enactment, the Constitutional Court (Ruling C-223 of 2014) ordered the bill returned to Congress to complete its passage.
- Art. 7 was amended by art. 3 of Law 2241 of 2022 (palliative care training).
- The DVA of art. 5 is regulated by Resolution 2665 of 2018, which repealed Resolution 1051 of 2016.
- No declaration of unconstitutionality of its articles is recorded.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
By what name is Law 1733 of 2014 known?
The Consuelo Devis Saavedra Law.
Which article of Law 1733 of 2014 lists patients' rights, including the DVA?
Article 5; the right to sign the Documento de Voluntad Anticipada is in item 4.
Who decides on palliative care for a child under 14 under Law 1733?
Their parents or responsible adults; between 14 and 18 the adolescent must be consulted.
Which norm amended article 7 of Law 1733 of 2014?
Law 2241 of 2022, in its article 3, on training health staff in palliative care.
Connections
Educational content on ethics and health law; not legal advice. Laws and case law change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, read the text in force and ask a lawyer or the medical ethics tribunal.
Sources: Ley 1733 de 2014 (Ley Consuelo Devis Saavedra) (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, 2014); Resolución 2665 de 2018 (Documento de Voluntad Anticipada) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, 2018).
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