Global medication shortages between 2021 and 2024 have severely impacted healthcare systems, with the United States reporting record shortages of 323 drugs in early 2024, including chemotherapy agents and emergency medications.

In Egypt, shortages of insulin, chemotherapy drugs, and anesthetics were driven by currency fluctuations, inflation, and smuggling, forcing patients to seek alternative treatments and hospitals to struggle with subsidized care.

Europe faced critical shortages of antibiotics and painkillers during peak winter demand, prompting the European Commission to propose stockpiling and fast-tracking approvals for alternative suppliers.

Supply chain disruptions, including reliance on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients from China and India, exacerbated shortages globally, particularly in the European Union where inflation impacted generic drug production costs.

Healthcare systems adapted by rationing care, switching to alternative drugs, and delaying treatments, as seen in U.S. hospitals managing chemotherapy drug shortages.

Governments implemented diverse strategies, such as Taiwan’s centralized drug shortage treatment center and the European Commission’s solidarity mechanism, to stabilize supply and improve distribution.

WHO initiatives, including emergency shipments to conflict zones like Sudan, addressed shortages by ensuring immediate access to essential medical supplies.

Geopolitical events, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war, further disrupted supply chains, increasing energy costs and reducing pharmaceutical production capacity globally.

Low-income communities and rural areas faced heightened disparities during shortages, with patients often forced to ration medications or rely on alternative therapies, leading to adverse health outcomes.

Policymakers in the United States proposed expanding FDA authority to improve supply chain transparency and diversify sources, addressing shortages of critical drugs like chemotherapy agents.

Global medication shortages between 2021 and 2024 have severely impacted healthcare systems, with the United States reporting record shortages of 323 drugs in early 2024, including chemotherapy agents and emergency medications.

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Content: General Supervision
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General Supervision
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An Unexpected Catastrophe in the World ’ s Largest Country: The Complete Story of U.S. Drug Shortages
The deficit is at a record level.
According to data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah Drug Information Service, organizations began tracking drug shortages for the first time in 2001. Steady since 2021 – now reaching a record high of 323 drugs in the first three months of 2024.
Paul Abramowitz, CEO of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, wrote in a blog post on Thursday: “It ’ s been a long time to end drug shortages, ” and wrote:“ All drug classes are vulnerable to shortages, some of the most worrisome shortages include sterile injectable generic drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs and emergency drugs stored in hospital vans and procedural areas. It is dangerous for doctors and patients. ”
In addition to the 32 chemotherapy drugs that are deficient, the five categories of drugs with the greatest deficiency include central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormonal agents, and intravenous fluids. [1] The Drug Deficiency Database maintained by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah is based on voluntary reports from practitioners, patients, and others that have been confirmed by manufacturers. The U.S. drug is in short supply, because it captures broader effects on service providers and patients.
The crisis has lasted a year and a half.
More than half of the treatment shortages have lasted for more than two years, according to an analysis by health consultancy IQVIA, and the average shortage affects at least half a million patients, many of them elderly, according to the US Office of Health and Human Services under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, which shared its analysis with Congress in May.
Growing demand can play a role in drug shortages, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but often manufacturing and quality problems, such as supply chain gaps and downtime, are the root cause. And varied.
But the American Society of Health System Pharmacists has “serious concerns ” about parts of this proposal, especially financial sanctions imposed on hospitals that lack the resources to comply with the recommendations, Abramowitz wrote:“ We all know that managing shortages is not enough and is not a sustainable solution to the worsening crisis, and there is still a lot of work to be done at the federal level to fix the root causes of drug shortages. ”
Why Shortage Occurs
Shortages can be caused by high demand, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but this is not usually the main problem.
The FDA also blames manufacturing and quality problems, supply chain gaps, and downtime, and Dr. Emily Tucker, a drug shortage expert and an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Clemson University, says that when there is an indication of shortages, large health systems often also proactively place large orders, adding to the system ’ s stress.
“I don ’ t blame anyone.
“When I talk to all the stakeholders – whether it ’ s wholesalers, manufacturers, or the government – everyone wants this problem to end, ” she said.
Lack of transparency
Dr. Julie Grallo, chief medical officer and executive vice president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, told the House Committee earlier that the shortage puts providers in a terrible position: “The drug shortage crisis is forcing providers to make impossible choices, and it is also hindering the development of new drugs. Health drugs are purchased only on a price basis, and manufacturers do not have to disclose the source of their acquisition of the ingredients.
The shortage of this generic chemical drug came due to the closure of one factory in India that manufactures the active ingredient after a surprise FDA inspection found “significant quality issues, ” says Jarallo:“ We didn ’ t know, and there was no transparency regarding the company ’ s supply of the majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients to all manufacturers across the board.
Knowing this in advance, we could have responded much faster, ” Dr. Steven Schundlemeyer, director of the PRIME Institute of the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, which focuses on economic and management issues, told the committee that as with defense contractors in the United States, New Zealand requires manufacturers to disclose their suppliers, and that information is required.
Easily accessible in the database.
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In Egypt, shortages of insulin, chemotherapy drugs, and anesthetics were driven by currency fluctuations, inflation, and smuggling, forcing patients to seek alternative treatments and hospitals to struggle with subsidized care.

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Content: Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
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Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
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My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Smuggling burns drug stability
Libya and Sudan are the main destinations.
And the profits are huge.
Deficiencies include stents, heart medications, diabetes, pressure, and tumors.
It is an undeniable fact that the Egyptian pharmaceutical market is experiencing a crisis of shortage of some vital items on which citizens depend mainly, and at all levels, which exacerbated the suffering of patients in public hospitals affiliated to the government, which receive subsidized medicines at low prices, so that the so-called alternative class becomes a citizen ’ s refuge, to get the necessary dose of medicine, to alleviate his health suffering or save his life.
At a time when it is assumed that more than 90% of medicines are manufactured in Egypt, citizens' complaints about the lack of many medicines and medical supplies in the markets and hospitals are escalating to the extent that deputies submitted a number of requests for briefing through the deputies, stressing that the crisis lies in the raw material itself and imported in dollars.
And the pressure.
Thyroid and sugar.
The main reasons lie in the importation of 95% of raw materials in addition to the presence of “smuggling brokers ” whose mission is to smuggle Egyptian medicine to neighboring conflict countries, especially Libya and Sudan, in order to sell it abroad at exorbitant prices, and to reap huge profits, according to some pharmacists and specialists. In addition to Sudan ’ s import of Egyptian medicine in hard currency, especially with the licenses of Egyptian medicine compared to others and the stopping of factories in neighboring countries because of their conflicts.
According to Ali Abdullah, head of the Egyptian Society for Pharmaceutical Studies (an NGO), the lack of medicines and their disappearance from the local market is a real crisis in case of smuggling, such as insulin, tumors, anesthesia, surgical supplies, serums and vaccines.
The shortage of hard currency in Egypt is also one of the reasons for the disappearance of medicines.
Mahfouz Ramzi, head of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Committee at the Cairo Pharmacists Syndicate, pointed out that there are organized gangs that smuggle medicine to countries of conflicts and wars, explaining that “most operations are conducted through land border roads, and the Egyptian Drug Authority is responsible for inspecting companies, factories and any pharmaceutical institution, to ensure that medicines produced in Egypt are in the normal sequence until they reach pharmacies. ”“ Some smuggling professionals deal with drug stores, where they buy large quantities of medicines, take advantage of discounts on them, and then smuggle them abroad to take advantage of the price difference. ”
The Executive Director of the Egyptian Center for the Right to Medicine, Mahmoud Fouad, confirmed that "the drug stores have turned into an illegal business and a back gate for drug smuggling and expired drug trade, as most of them are not licensed and sold without invoices, and are not subject to the umbrella of the Ministry of Health, in addition to the lack of health standards required to practice the profession of pharmacy, after some stores are run from apartments away from the eyes of the Ministry of the control bodies. 90% of its owners are not pharmacists. ”
“Are these stores registered with the Ministry of Health?
And are they subject to pharmaceutical inspection or from the Drug Control and Research Authority? ”, stressing that most of the small pharmacies in the villages “do not have the ability to buy medicine from distribution companies, which makes them resort to buying from stores after agreeing on specific facilities and periods for payment, ” pointing out that“ popular medicines in Egypt are the most smuggled abroad. ” From 250 pounds ($8 at the official exchange rate).
According to Dr. Ashraf Hatem, Chairman of the Health Committee in Parliament, it is a social responsibility, and priorities must be set, and all parties sitting together may help to solve the crisis, in light of the apparent shortage of a number of medical drugs, and his demand that the Drug Authority publish periodically and daily alternatives to the missing medicines in the absence of the original medicine. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry continues to operate and produce.
For all this and for the continuation of the crisis of drug shortage it was necessary to search and investigate the causes and solutions!
During the meeting of Gamal al-Laith, Chairman of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry at the Federation of Industries, in the presence of Minister of Health Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the Governor of the Central Bank, Hassan Abdullah, and others, he sent letters of reassurance to the Egyptian people about the existence of a solution to pump the needs of the market of foreign currency to end the shortage of medicines. Or psychologically for the patient.
He said: « The medicines that suffer from the shortage, some of them are sugar drugs and other drugs tumors and drugs of the glands and heart, drugs related to chronic diseases, which is now being secured, and we as factories work with a stock of raw materials enough for 4-6 months, and this stock reached only weeks, and therefore we are now in the stage of risk, and therefore the government began to move ».
He added that the health sector is supported by the provision of foreign exchange resources to provide all needs according to a plan to deal with such circumstances, stressing the importance of full coordination between the unified purchasing authority and the pharmaceutical industry room as well as pharmaceutical companies to face any problems related to the shortage of supplies, medicines and medical consumables.
As well as a detailed presentation on the commitments implemented and not implemented in the period from June 2023 to January 2024, with regard to the provision of (medicines, medical supplies, laboratory supplies, devices, raw materials and packing materials), and the Minister was briefed on the results of the mechanisms established with the Central Bank of Egypt to pay the obligations in foreign currency to meet the demands of the health care sector.
In the end, the official spokesman stressed that the shortage of drugs does not exceed 15% and the drugs directed to tumors are at the forefront of the shortcomings because of their close link to the currency and what faces the supply chains, otherwise all drugs and within them are compatible... The complaints are due in their entirety to the lack of knowledge of citizens with the trade names of medicines.
In addition to the above, a severe shortage of anesthetic drugs, dental pening drugs, nephrology and recovery drugs, which will cause a real disaster that threatens the conduct of surgical operations for patients, and thus increase the waiting lists in hospitals and the occurrence of complications for patients that may result in loss of their lives.
The head of the medicine division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Ali Ouf, revealed that a request will be submitted to the Egyptian Drug Authority early next week to move the prices of 1,500 items in light of what he described as developments in the situation and rising costs.
He pointed out that « the need to raise the wages of workers in the pharmaceutical sector to compensate them for the cost of living and therefore must raise salaries so that they can live in the current conditions and the sector will bear the increase of salaries at the expense of cost and raise the minimum insurance ».
On the shortage of medicines, Amin al-Dabraki, one of the dealers in the pharmaceutical market, said that the main reason for the crisis is the lack of active substances imported by companies.
This is mainly due to the dollar crisis, in addition to the withdrawal of some financial companies from the Egyptian pharmaceutical market.
On the inability of the Ministry of Health to move the prices of medicines with the movement of the exchange rate, he said that the solutions are the intervention of the state by providing a fixed customs dollar for pharmaceutical companies, while moving the prices of medicines, in addition to starting factories to produce active substances inside Egypt.

Europe faced critical shortages of antibiotics and painkillers during peak winter demand, prompting the European Commission to propose stockpiling and fast-tracking approvals for alternative suppliers.

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Content: Brussels is planning for EU countries to share vital medicines and take emergency measures to avoid a repeat of shortages that hit the bloc a year ago.

The European Commission is proposing a “voluntary solidarity mechanism” requested by France and Germany and an early warning system flagging when drugs become scarce, according to draft proposals seen by the Financial Times. If insufficient donors come forward, EU capitals will be allowed to tap into an EU-funded stockpile set up during the Covid-19 pandemic and take other emergency measures.

In December and January western countries suffered a shortage of antibiotics including penicillin and amoxicillin, and painkillers such as paracetamol, especially in medicines used by children.

Among the emergency measures floated to prevent a repeat of that crisis, the commission could allow the extension of a drug’s shelf life, fast track approvals of alternative suppliers and support production increases.

Brussels will also encourage joint procurement of drugs from 2024 and medicine swaps with countries in the southern hemisphere, where peak winter demand happens at a different time.

The commission will draw up guidance for national stockpiles in 2024 and establish a Critical Medicines Alliance bringing governments, industry and civil society together. The commission declined to comment.

Three-quarters of countries reported a worsening of drug shortages in 2022, according to an industry survey. EU manufacturing is heavily reliant on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients from China and India.

Rising demand and disruption to supply chains have been compounded by inflation hitting the production of generic drugs, which typically sell at much lower prices than branded versions.

France has been actively encouraging the reshoring of basic medicine supply, with a giant paracetamol factory set to open in the country next year.

The EU is discussing whether to provide more funding for domestic production.

The commission’s proposal is scheduled to be approved on October 25 and could still change. Initially non-binding, it could lead to a Critical Medicines Act, with Brussels drawing up a list of vital medicines by year-end.

The commission also urges member states and the European parliament to approve its overhaul of pharmaceutical legislation, put forward in April. It includes plans to take control of drug production in the event of a public health emergency, a requirement for stockholders to inform Brussels of supply levels and for manufacturers to give early warnings of shortages.

An analysis by the European Medicines Agency and the commission found that unless there is unexpected demand the EU should avoid an antibiotics shortage this year.

“The information available today suggests that — if demand in the coming winter season does not differ significantly from the demand of recent years — the supply to the EU of key antibiotics seems to generally match demand,” the analysis said.

“However, this depends strongly on the compliance of industry with their legal obligations to ensure supply and their ability to adapt.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2023. All rights reserved.
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Supply chain disruptions, including reliance on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients from China and India, exacerbated shortages globally, particularly in the European Union where inflation impacted generic drug production costs.

Healthcare systems adapted by rationing care, switching to alternative drugs, and delaying treatments, as seen in U.S. hospitals managing chemotherapy drug shortages.

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Content: As drug shortage list grows, many hospitals face tough decisions on rationing care

More than half of hospital pharmacists are reporting a critical shortage of chemotherapy drugs and nearly all are reporting overall medicine supply gaps as prescription drug shortages near an all time high, according to a new survey.

Hospital pharmacists said drug shortages have forced 1 in 3 health systems to delay, cancel or ration care or switch to alternate drugs to continue to treat patients. And 99% are reporting some drug supply shortages, an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists survey of more than 1,000 pharmacists released Thursday found.

The organization reported shortages of 309 drugs, near the all-time high of 320 shortages in 2014. The scarcity of key drugs is prompting hospitals to find or substitute drugs and change treatment plans as needed.

“In some cases, there are no alternatives to the affected drugs, which puts patients at risk," ASHP Chief Executive Officer Paul W. Abramowitz said in a statement. "This issue requires quick action from Congress to address the underlying causes of shortages and ensure patients have the medications they need.”

Cancer drug shortages

In June, the Food and Drug Administration said it will temporarily allow overseas drug manufacturers to import some chemotherapy drugs.

The FDA allowed Qilu Pharmaceutical, a drug manufacturer in China, to import the injectable chemotherapy drug cisplatin in 50-milligram vials. Toronto pharmaceutical company Apotex Corp. will distribute the medication in the United States.

More than a dozen cancer drugs have been in shortage in recent months, including cisplatin and carboplatin, used to treat lung, breast, prostate and gynecologic cancers. The National Cancer Institute said cisplatin and similar drugs are prescribed for 10% to 20% of all cancer patients.

In June, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network released a survey of 27 academic cancer centers that found 93% reported shortages of carboplatin and 70% faced shortages of cisplatin.

When cancer hospitals face such shortages, they attempt to make sure there's enough medication for patients to finish the course of treatment, said Mike Ganio, ASHP's senior director of pharmacy practice and quality.

Cancer hospitals facing such shortages might change medications for new patients starting on chemotherapy, said Ganio, a former pharmacy manager at an academic cancer center.

"You try to keep that patient on the same regimen as much as you can, unless they're failing it for some reason, and then you would switch," Ganio said.

Steroids, hormonal drugs also in short supply

More than 1 in 5 hospital pharmacists also reported shortages for steroids, hormonal drugs and oral liquids such as lidocaine, ibuprofen and amoxicillin.

A smaller number of pharmacists said heart medications, emergency prefilled syringes and drugs used for intensive care unit patients were in short supply. Others reported shortages of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medicines, antimicrobial drugs and injectable opioids.

In all, about two-thirds of pharmacists said the shortages were "moderately impactful," which means they are managing shortages but patients are affected.

Pharmacists are managing the shortages by offering therapeutic alternatives, buying different vial sizes or concentrations and rationing medicines.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Survey: Drug shortages are widespread, hospitals ration care

Governments implemented diverse strategies, such as Taiwan’s centralized drug shortage treatment center and the European Commission’s solidarity mechanism, to stabilize supply and improve distribution.

WHO initiatives, including emergency shipments to conflict zones like Sudan, addressed shortages by ensuring immediate access to essential medical supplies.

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Content: Saturday 6 May 2023 Abu Dhabi UAE
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UAE, WHO send urgent medical supplies to Sudan
Emergency medical supplies shipped to Sudan
May 5, 2023 22: 23
The UAE, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), on Friday sent 30 tons of urgent medical supplies to Sudan, where a plane loaded with medical supplies to treat injuries, emergency surgeries and essential drugs arrived at Port Sudan airport.
The shipment, valued at $444,000, is the first delivered by WHO to Sudan by air since the conflict began.
The organization distributed supplies to health facilities that ran out of medical supplies days after the outbreak of the conflict in view of the large numbers of wounded.
The dispatch of the aircraft is part of the UAE ’ s ongoing relief efforts to support the Sudanese people and reflects the depth of its relations with Sudan, especially in light of the current situation.
This relief is an extension of the UAE ’ s humanitarian vision and a reflection of its relations with other countries based on bonds of human fraternity and commitment to help others during crises and emergencies.
Her Excellency Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, said that the UAE continues to work closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure the success of the important logistical operation to send urgent medical and food supplies to help address the current crisis in Sudan.
In parallel with the calls for all parties to the current conflict to immediately cease hostilities and de-escalate a situation that is causing untold suffering to the Sudanese people, the UAE is steadfast in its commitment to provide aid and assistance to countries in times of need.
“The UAE is particularly focused on providing support to the most vulnerable people affected by the situation in Sudan, namely the sick, children, the elderly and women, who are most at risk from the ongoing and extremely worrying conflict, and these relief flights will address the most urgent gaps in the provision of medical and food services. ”
Al Hashimi stressed that the UAE ’ s steadfast humanitarian values make it imperative to continue communicating with the world with unrelenting sincerity to promote peace, security, security and stability, not only at the regional level but also around the world.
Together with its partners and the international community, the UAE continues to assist the Sudanese people in times of crisis.
Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergency Programme, said: “Early this morning, a flight carrying 30 metric tonnes of health supplies worth US $444,000 left the WHO Global Logistics Centre in the UAE en route to Port Sudan in response to the current crisis in Sudan.
Health supplies include enough to treat injuries, cover emergency surgical supplies, and essential medicines to treat 165,000 people most in need of humanitarian assistance after health facilities across the country declared they had run out of basic health supplies and national medical stores were no longer available due to the security situation.
WHO has sent two emergency logistics on board to ensure these supplies are immediately distributed to 13 key health facilities to support healthcare workers and provide care to those in need.
“WHO has another 30 tonnes of supplies to fight malaria and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions that can become fatal if left untreated.
These supplies and about 23,000 bags of blood are being processed within the WHO Global Logistics Centre in the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, and WHO is currently exploring all possible ways to deliver these supplies to Sudan as soon as possible in collaboration with the Sudanese Ministry of Health. ”
He pointed out that the WHO Global Logistics Centre in the UAE has become the focus of rapid supply response to acute events globally with the support of more than 140 countries in all six WHO geographical regions.
He explained that the center is a lifeline for Member States suffering from health emergencies caused by outbreaks of diseases, disasters such as floods, earthquakes and the impact of conflicts on health systems, and that the support provided by the UAE enables WHO to be at the forefront of health emergency responses and provide specialized medical assistance to those in need wherever and whenever needed.
“As part of efforts to strengthen the global health emergency preparedness, response and resilience architecture, the UAE and WHO are working together to deliver supplies to reach the world ’ s most vulnerable at a time when they are most needed. ”
Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said that WHO continues to coordinate with the Sudanese health authorities to deliver essential health supplies through all available routes, explaining that due to the conflict, hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare facilities have run out of essential life-saving medicines.
The arrival of an additional 30 tonnes of surgical and emergency supplies, in addition to essential medicines, will enable WHO to support 13 major health facilities and restore health care services to those in need.
Dr Al Mandhari said: “Our global logistics hub in Dubai plays a vital role in ensuring a continuous supply of health goods.
We are grateful for the support provided by the UAE to facilitate our first casual flight of these much-needed supplies.
Such support underscores our regional vision of health for all and for all. ”
It is worth mentioning that medical assistance provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) through the UAE amounted to about 55% of the total medical supplies provided to Sudan from abroad during 2022, which reflects the UAE ’ s position as a major center for humanitarian response and support globally.
Source: WAM
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Geopolitical events, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war, further disrupted supply chains, increasing energy costs and reducing pharmaceutical production capacity globally.

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Content: Experts have recorded a shortage of antibiotics in the world due to the increase in the number of infectious diseases.
On December 21, writes the Financial Times with reference to the head of the group of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the supply of medicines and ensuring access to them Lisa Hedman, reports Day.Az.
Twenty-eight of the 35 countries for which WHO collects data are deficient in penicillin-type drugs.
In the United States and Canada complained about the lack of amoxicillin.
Less is known about the situation in poor or small countries, according to Hedman.
It is noted that in addition to the difficulties experienced by pharmaceutical manufacturers in the pandemic, the current situation is complicated by high energy prices, and this leads to a decrease in profits of companies.
In addition, countries, according to Hedman, did not expect that in the first year without masks, respiratory infections would hit the population so hard.
In addition to antibiotics, pharmacists also complain about the lack of painkillers, drugs for tuberculosis and drugs for skin infections.

Low-income communities and rural areas faced heightened disparities during shortages, with patients often forced to ration medications or rely on alternative therapies, leading to adverse health outcomes.

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Content: Saturday 13 July 2024
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
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Reports & Investigations
A “cure ” for the lack of medicine.
News portal monitors the suffering of health insurance patients..
Health Minister Apologizes to Citizens
Head of the division: Insistence on using the trade name exacerbates the problem
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Hundreds of chronic disease patients from health insurance clinics suffer from a lack of treatments and medicines, especially diabetics; because of the lack of insulin and many other medicines that are not available, where the journey of great suffering begins after the patient leaves the examination room and the doctor writes the necessary treatment in the prescription, to surprise patients that the treatment does not exist and he has to look for it himself.
In this report, "Al-Bawaba News" monitors the suffering of patients looking for medicine in light of the lack of the market of local and imported medicines in health insurance pharmacies and free market pharmacies, where « Al-Bawaba » met "Amina", a 50-year-old woman suffering from diabetes, went to health insurance in the city of Al-Mahalla Al-Kubra, in an attempt to get her treatment to clash with reality. The health insurance deducts a fixed monthly subscription for her treatment, but the head of the pharmacy inside Ibn Sina Clinic in Mahalla Al-Kubra confirmed that the treatment is not currently available, and that the patient must go to three pharmacies affiliated with the Health Insurance Authority, and three pharmacies outside it affiliated with the Health Insurance also, to get the medicine.
"Amina" did not despair of attempts and despite her illness, she went to 6 pharmacies affiliated with health insurance inside and outside the headquarters and did not find sugar medicines available, even she did not find it in the free market in various pharmacies.
The suffering continues.
Amina ’ s condition is not unique in the midst of a hustle of medication shortages, as Menna Magdy from Giza also complained about the lack of insulin and tapes needed for a glucose meter, which has become rare.
“Mina ”, the mother of a diabetic child, said:“ I am a son diagnosed from 1 year and 4 months with diabetes type I take Novo Rapid and sediment, of course we are supposed to take insulin from insurance and imposed according to measurements, but they do not need enough insulin in the middle of the lack of drugs, and when Benji I spend the treatment every two months..
We have to take medicine from other patients. ”
She pointed out that there is a clear suffering that appears in the patient groups and we are trying together to find solutions to the shortage of drugs, insulin and tapes, even in pharmacies in free markets we do not find.
She added in desperation: "We kept reducing the quantities of medicine against our will and from how many days of insulin ended up on the pharmacies of October all so that I find one Novo pen but not you."
In the governorate of Ismailia, despite the application of comprehensive health insurance in the governorate, but she has seen a shortage of medicines inside pharmacies, "Rawda", a mother of two diabetics, says that she suffers from the provision of medicines to her children with immune diabetes, where for the past 3 months she was unable to provide medicine from health insurance.
She added that after suffering a few doses were dispensed and without sugar measurement strips, and added that some substitutes of drugs for diabetes led to double pathological symptoms, where one of her children suffered from a high cumulative rate of up to 15 and enter the intensive care.
She pointed out that the shortage of medicines is not only in health insurance pharmacies and the public sector, but in free pharmacies, where she is looking for medicines in her province and neighboring provinces in order to obtain the prescribed doses of sugar for her sons.
Lack of medicines
Dr. Mahmoud Fouad, Executive Director of the Right to Medicine Association, stressed that there is a shortage of many medicines for many diseases such as immunological diseases, Mediterranean anemia, SLE, Duchenne diseases, muscular dystrophy, neurologic and psychological drugs, in addition to some hormone drugs.
Fouad explained in a statement to "Al-Bawaba News", that diabetics suffer from the lack of availability of some diabetes drugs, especially popular insulin, although there is an increase in the recent drug varieties to more than 30% of the drugs.
Fouad pointed out that there are some traders who store medicines in stores to offer them in the market at new prices, in addition to many problems related to imported medicines, which have also increased their price significantly.
Fouad pointed out that there is a new increase in a large number of items in the coming days by up to 50% and up to 80% for imported medicines.
In the same context, Dr. Ali Auf, head of the medicine division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, said that the problem of medicine shortage is not only related to the provision of medicine from the state or pharmaceutical factories, but also related to the culture of the citizen in dealing with these medicines.
The head of the medicine division said in statements to "Al-Bawaba News" that the citizen deals badly with drugs in two cases, the first of which is to store a large amount in the case of a shortage and then provide it in pharmacies; for fear of suffering in obtaining it if shortage, and thus causes this behavior to deprive other patients to get their doses on time.
He added that the other wrong behavior is the use of essential drugs to treat some diseases such as diabetes in the treatment of another disease such as obesity, and therefore drugs are consumed at a higher rate than the production of companies, which makes the period of the end of the crisis longer than necessary.
He pointed out that most sugar medicines (pills) are available under the scientific name and not the commercial name, and that local insulin is manufactured internally and 85% of the insulin available in Egypt is local production, but the production covers the needs of health insurance and hospitals of the Ministry of Health and the government sector.
He added that there is a crisis in imported insulin, where it is available only by 15%, and international factories adhere to a production plan, and therefore in the case of increased consumption of drugs is not increased production in the actual time for the shortage of medicine, and thus patients in the local market resort to Egyptian insulin shows demand for medicine, which is a pressure and shows cases of drug shortage.
He pointed out that there is a near breakthrough to provide medicine, and that it is easy for Egyptians to deal with the scientific name and not commercial, and in case of any drug shortage, call the ambulance pharmacies available in Greater Cairo and the governorates through the hotline 16682 or call the Drug Authority on the hot number 15301; to find out where any medicines are missing and the scientific alternative to it.
For its part, the Drug Authority explained through its official page on Facebook that there are many alternatives to authentic medicines and all of them are safe and have the same effect and effectiveness as the original medicine; pointing out that the alternative medicine, is a medicine composed of an active substance different from the original medicine, but it is used to treat the same disease.
The Egyptian Medicines Authority advised that you should consult your doctor or pharmacist before using an alternative medicine as they can help you ensure that the alternative medicine is suitable for you and that it will not interact with any other medicines you are taking.
In the same context, the Authority said in a press release that Dr. Ali Al-Ghamrawi, President of the Egyptian Drug Authority, received a delegation of representatives of local companies and the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry to discuss ways of cooperation between the Authority, companies and the Chamber to provide medicines and necessary supplies in the Egyptian market.
Promises of the new government
In his first remarks to the new government on the crises of medicine, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said today in a press conference that the pharmaceutical sector in Egypt follows the private sector, and that the state is coordinating with the private sector to reduce the prices of medicine, stressing that the state is keen to stabilize the prices of medicine, especially that the Egyptian medicine is cheaper than most countries in the world.
He explained that the state is procuring the dollar to provide raw materials for manufacturing, and that the import of raw material at the daily price of the dollar caused great losses to the state.
Timeline
On the lack of medicine, the Prime Minister said that the drug prices were coordinated by the Drug Authority after developing a plan with the companies for the absence of any shortage of medicines in the coming period, and explained that the drug productivity takes a great time in manufacturing and therefore there is a shortage of medicines in the markets, pointing out that the coming period will witness a great abundance of medicines.
For his part, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, revealed that the drug file is important and has a dimension in the Egyptian national security, and affected like any commodity with dollar components during the last year and a half in light of the existence of global crises.
He explained that since the beginning of the crisis and the perception of the lack of currency to cover the needs, priorities have been set so that the citizen does not feel a shortage, stressing that the guests from Gaza and Sudan are all additions that affected the requirements of production and the basics of the pharmaceutical industry of raw materials.
He added that there were deficiencies in some types of medicines, but there are alternative or similar medicines and this culture is not approved by many, in the absence of the medicine written by the doctor they say it is incomplete.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, continued that Egypt is the cheapest country in the world in medicine, and the unable is not affected by the high prices of medicine, adding that the state provides it and the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry covers 95% of the needs.
He added that there are 69 million citizens who are insured in the health insurance system that has existed since the 1960s, in addition to the beneficiaries of treatment decisions at the expense of the state.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, said that the drug pricing procedures are the prerogatives of the Egyptian Drug Authority, pointing out that the increase in drug prices will be in the range of 30 to 35%.
The minister apologized.
The Minister of Health apologized to the citizens for the shortage of some medicines in the markets during the recent period, stressing that during the next few months there will be no shortage of imported or local medicines, as the import of raw materials began to restart production and will be in cooperation with the entire minister to take care of the pharmaceutical industry.
He added that the state is keen to provide all the necessary capabilities for the treatment of patients and the provision of medicines, and that there is an upcoming international cooperation with the international institution "Gustav" for the treatment of tumors in France, which does not have a presence outside France.
It receives patients from all over the world, which is the center of excellence for the treatment of tumors in the world, and the efforts of the Egyptian government have been successful in persuading it to receive the center with all its competencies and expertise to participate the Ministry of Health in the work of a hospital in Egypt.
He explained that Egyptian doctors will be trained abroad to transfer international experiences and expertise to Egypt, stressing that the citizen will be treated at the highest international level without incurring any dime, but paid instead by the state through health insurance.
He stressed the completion of 24 projects to develop hospitals at a cost of 7.34 billion pounds, adding that there are 20 new projects in 11 governorates and these hospitals will operate with a capacity of 2,747 beds.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, said that the presidential initiatives launched by President Sisi led to an increase in the average age of the Egyptian human being.
Dr. Abdul Ghaffar explained that the national projects plan from 2025 to 2026, stressing that it includes 54 projects in 24 governorates in the Republic and will operate with a capacity of 9588 beds.
Dr. Abdel Ghaffar added that the comprehensive health insurance project will end in 2030 and will cover all governorates of the Republic, stressing that Egypt has received thousands of sick and injured cases coming from the Gaza Strip, and will be assisted in rebuilding the health system in the Gaza Strip within the framework of Egyptian assistance to the brothers.

Policymakers in the United States proposed expanding FDA authority to improve supply chain transparency and diversify sources, addressing shortages of critical drugs like chemotherapy agents.

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Content: Meitu
The first quarter of the United States serious drug shortage 323 drugs urgent cancer patients also have to be diverted and rationed!
CHU HENG NETWORK NEWS CENTER 2024-04-16 10: 42
According to the latest data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Utah Center for Drug Information Services, a total of 323 drugs in the United States were in severe shortages in the first quarter of this year, surpassing the record of 320 in 2014.
Among the drugs affected are the widely used diabetes drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro, the allergy treatment drug adrenaline, the common antibiotic amoxicillin for children, chemotherapy drugs and injections commonly used in hospitals in intensive care.
ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz said in a statement that almost all categories of drugs are facing shortages, with non-patented sterile injectable drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs, and emergency drugs stored in hospital emergency vans and operating areas, the shortage of such drugs is the most worrying.
According to the American Cancer Society, chemotherapy is one of the top five drugs most affected by the shortage, which threatens to have a devastating impact on patients, and some hospitals and clinics say doctors have had to divert patients to ration their medications because of a shortage of some chemotherapy drugs.
In addition, ASHP noted that the continued nationwide shortage of ADHD drugs is “a problem for clinicians and patients. ”
The shortage of popular drugs is even more acute, with Mounjaro, the diabetes drug known as the “slimming pill ”, already in dire straits.
In response, Lilly said that the “unprecedented surge in demand ” for Mounjaro and its similar drug Zepbound has led to a shortage in the market, which the company is struggling to cope with.
Lilly is ramping up investments to boost production at Mounjaro and Zepbound in the second half of 2024.
The company said it expects intermittent supply disruptions in the near term due to unprecedented demand.
How to cure the drug shortage
The last major “drug shortage ” in U.S. history occurred in 2014, and it has only been alleviated in the years since.
Since 2021, the drug shortage situation seems to be increasing, and scholars in the field of medical health and economics in the United States believe that the reason for most drug shortages in the United States is the fragmentation of the drug supply chain.
The White House this month proposed spending between $3.26 billion and $5.11 billion over the next decade to help address the nation ’ s drug shortage.
The bill requires approval and funding from the U.S. Congress.
U.S. researchers and policymakers believe that a complete solution to the “drug shortage ” may require changes to the business model of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, including measures to increase the price of generic drugs to attract more drug manufacturers.
Policymakers recommend giving the FDA more power to access more information about drug shortages and impending shortages.
Currently, the FDA relies primarily on phone calls to manufacturers asking if they can increase their supply to understand the situation.
The American Society of Health System Pharmacists said it is working with the federal government to advise the government on measures to address the drug shortage, including that Congress should require manufacturers to be more transparent on any supply chain issues and encourage more diversity in supply chains.
According to Abramowitz, “The federal government still has a lot of work to do to fundamentally address drug shortages, and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists will continue to engage regularly with policymakers to guide them in drafting and passing new legislation to address drug shortages and continue to advocate vigorously for proven solutions on behalf of our members. ”