Medicine shortage in Ekurhuleni
Residents may have realised that some medicines are getting increasingly harder to get hold of.
Ward councillor of Ekurhuleni, Geoff Fenn says many patients visiting Ekurhuleni clinics have not been able to receive the medicine they require.
“The continued drug stock-outs raise concern as easily available medicines haven’t been accessible to those in need, despite these drugs having multiple manufacturers,” he says.
He adds that the situation has left many patients having to go to privately owned pharmacies to purchase the drugs they require, while other patients who can’t afford to buy medicines have to go without, having severe effects on their health.
Themba Gadebe, spokesman for Ekurhuleni, admits that there is a medicine shortage in Ekurhuleni.
He says the medicine shortage is multi-factorial, meaning several factors contribute to the shortage, namely:
- Non-availability of national contracts
- Manufacturing challenges
- Supplies challenges
- Depots and clinic challenges
- Patient challenges as some patients have preferences to use certain drugs and are not willing to use an alternative or any generic.
“The duration of the problem will depend on the cause,” he says, “if it is due to irrational ordering of medicines, the non-availability of medicine can be resolved within hours.”
If the shortage is related to supplier challenges the period it takes to resolve this shortage is longer.
“The Primary Health Care facilities have been tasked to try all means possible to ensure that patients receive their medication, this entails immediate communication with the Gauteng Department of Health for stock to be sourced as well as borrowing from neighbouring health facilities in Ekurhuleni.”
If there is medicine shortage a patient will receive an alternative medicine which will be issued depending on the diagnosis.
