Pharmacy shelves empty of children΄s antibiotics, insulin and analgesics

Pharmacy shelves in Corfu are empty of children's antibiotics, insulin and analgesics. Shortages of pharmaceuticals continue to persist, forcing people to travel long distances from north to south to find their medications.

The issue of drug shortages across the country, due to parallel exports, which was particularly evident last year, still exists. Despite a recent announcement (4/10), the Ministry of Health pointed out that there are no drug shortages in the market based on the available data and that the unavailability of some drugs is covered by the corresponding generics, which have the same active ingredients, but pharmacists and doctors hold a different opinion.

Athens Pharmaceutical Association stated its position on the issue in an announcement on 6 October, pointing out that shortages continue unabated and that the overwhelming majority of essential drugs are branded medications, and therefore it is not possible to provide generic drugs.

Doctors forced to change treatments

Shortages of specific insulins have already forced local doctors to change patients' treatments, but without the same results.

"There is a significant difficulty in finding injectable drugs, especially one of the three insulins," general practitioner Phivos Kakavitsas told Enimerosi. "Most patients, due to shortages that have exceeded eight months, have switched treatments, but without the same result."

He pointed out that drug shortages exist in each category, with the problem mainly affecting drugs whose patents have not 'expired,' and the formulations are unique, such as injectable GLP-1 medications.

Search for antibiotics

Meanwhile, the search for children's antibiotics has turned into an ordeal for parents, who are forced to search throughout Corfu, hoping to find them in some pharmacy. Serious problems were also observed during the summer when visitor numbers increased due to the tourist season."Shortages of children's antibiotics, such as Augmentin, Ceclor, Amoxil, are huge," Pericles Rarakos, President of Corfu Pharmaceutical Association, told Enimerosi. "The same goes for adult antibiotics, such as claricid and dalacin. In the vast majority of these cases, there is no equivalent drug with a different brand name to substitute for the treatment."

Higher prices

He said that, although the Ministry of Health is addressing the shortages by banning the export of essential medications and importing drugs through the Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Technology (IFET), their prices have multiplied. For example, the antitetanic serum, which is in shortage, used to cost 10.80 Euros, but now its price has risen to 31 Euros.

In the case of painkillers, which are also in short supply, Lonarid used to cost 5-6 Euros, but now the price has skyrocketed to 20 Euros.

"These drugs are prescribed but burden the National Organization for Healthcare Provision (EOPYY)," he said. "The patient pays 25% of the cost, but as the drug price increases, the amount the patient ultimately pays also increases."

MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI

Photo: Pericles Rarakos