SA runs low on essential medicines

CANCER patients and other chronic pain sufferers are in for a rough ride as stocks of well-known analgesics and several other essential drugs run low in the private and government sectors around the country.

The shortage of morphine powder in particular has been red-flagged by medical and pharmaceutical health professionals. The list of shortages includes drugs used for mild or moderate pain like Betagesic and Napamol, as well as Ponstan paediatric suppositories, low dosage Panamor suppositories, pain patches and opioids like Targinact, which is used in the treatment of severe pain.

Independent Media is in possession of a list from the Government Employees Medical Scheme, which shows that there are shortages of almost 150 other essential medications, including some dosages of Metformin that is used in the treatment of diabetes, and medication for depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

The Independent Community Pharmacist Association (ICPA) said there were some shortages in the country that could be linked to the after effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ICPA said 80% of the active pharmaceutical ingredients needed in the country were sourced from abroad.

However, the current drug shortages were not unique to South Africa.

ICPA CEO Jackie Maimin raised concern about the availability of morphine powder, which has been in short supply for at least two months.

“Pharmacies are scrambling and borrowing from each other,” she said.

The Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of SA (Palprac) says morphine powder is the most commonly prescribed drug in palliative care.

Palprac chairperson Dr Julia Ambler said patients in the private sector had more options than state patients, but even then it was disruptive to change their treatment. “For a lot of patients it’s meant chasing around, phoning every pharmacy and a lot of patients have missed doses and really found themselves in a lot of pain,” said Ambler.

Senior pharmacology lecturer Andy Gray said the country was dependent on one morphine powder supplier in Cape Town, which just received stock and the problem was almost solved.

The US Food and Drug Administration regularly prints lists of drugs that are out of stock, in Europe that information is available on websites, in Canada the industry pays for updates.

“Our difficulty is that we don’t have a reporting system so we don’t know what is out of stock, when, for how long and for what reasons,” said Gray.

The Department of Health said a decision-making forum that included all the provinces was set up to address medicine supply challenges.