Massive drug shortage within three months: Pharmacy owners’ Assn.

A massive drug shortage is imminent as the existing backup stocks of medicines are due to be used up within three months, All-Island Private Pharmacy Owners' Association (ACPPOA) President Chandika Gankanda said.

He told the Daily Mirror that the country has a 5% shortage of required medicines.

"Medications are labelled with different identification brands. Most of the pharmacies used to give alternative brands to the consumers as the requested brands were out of stock. With the current backup stocks, he believes this practice can not be sustained for long.

If the government does not intervene, there would be a huge issue, which is more than the shortage of cement, domestic gas, and milk powder. Everything in the country is based on  people's health. He said if people suffer from ill health, we cannot think of a future.

"With the current dollar crunch in the country, the manufacturers and importers are unable to manufacture or import the required medicines as they are higher in price. If some of the drugs they import are subject to price control, they cannot sell them in the local market. Most of the drugs are sold at controlled prices.

"If the shortage continues, there would be a possibility of a shortage of insulin (medication). Most of the local drug manufacturing companies used to keep buffer stocks that were sufficient for three months. Therefore, the country does not feel it, "Gankanda said. 

Manufacturing of certain products in the country have slowed down due to higher raw material import costs.

If the government cannot remove the control price on certain drugs, they should introduce a price formula that fluctuates according to the dollar rate. 

Hence, most of the popular drugs such as  paracetamol, Panadol, Panadein, Frisium, normal saline and zinnat are found to be in shortage. Also, there is a shortage of antibiotic syrups given to children in the country.

Mr. Gankanda said that the demand for paracetamol tablets has increased not because of the triple threat of Omicron, dengue, and viral flu in society, but because of not having a sufficient supply.

A list of district wise drug shortages are as follows:

Paracetamol, Panadol, Panadein, Nitrofurantoin, Nitrocontin, Norfloxacin, Magnesium sulphate (powder), Manorest, Oxetol, Phenobarbital, Frisium 10mg (keolax), Normal saline, Amikacin Injection, Oxetol 300, Azee 500mg, Zinnat 500mg, Tolbutamide 250mg, Minipress XL. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)