# Global Medication Shortages: A Comprehensive Report for Caretakers

## Executive Summary

Medication shortages represent a critical global healthcare challenge that affects both developed and developing nations.

This report examines the scope of medication shortages between 2021-2024, identifies affected medications, analyzes underlying causes, and provides actionable strategies for caretakers managing patients with chronic life-threatening conditions.

## Scope of the Global Medication Shortage Problem

### Global Impact
Medication shortages are a widespread issue affecting healthcare systems worldwide.

While the provided documents focus primarily on medication affordability in the United States, the problem extends globally with similar underlying causes affecting multiple countries.

### Key Statistics from Available Data
- Prescription drug prices in the US are 2-3 times higher than in other countries
- Nearly 30% of US adults skip doses, cut pills, or don't fill prescriptions due to cost
- 8% of American households purchase medications outside the US for lower prices
-

# Global Medication Shortages: A Comprehensive Report for Caretakers

## Executive Summary

Medication shortages represent a critical global healthcare challenge that affects both developed and developing nations.

Title:

Content: 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.
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.

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
Report: Lack of Obesity Drugs and Weight Loss Causes Inconvenience
Patients who are prescribed highly effective anti-obesity drugs are concerned about the increasing difficulty in obtaining them amid the long-term shortage caused by the high demand for drugs, according to a report published recently by the American website Axios.
Ethan Lazarus, a Denver-based certified bariatric physician, said: “They ’ ve been out of stock everywhere for about a month, and it ’ s gone from being easy to locate to being very difficult.
Lazarus and other doctors who spoke with Axios said almost all of their patients in recent weeks had difficulty finding their prescribed dose.
Patients are increasingly contacting pharmacies to keep track of their prescriptions and, in many cases, have to switch doses or medications altogether.
For some patients, one of the most disturbing aspects is how quickly persistent thoughts about food return.
Christine Rehn Fielding, director of the New York University Langone Weight Management Program, said that “food noise ” disappears in people who eat GLP products,“ and feel very free. ”
At the same time, doctors said some patients are also having more difficulty convincing insurers to re-allow coverage of their prescriptions after several tighter rules at the beginning of the year to curb spending on expensive drugs.
Experts say that stopping taking medications, even for a week or two, can be annoying.
Patients begin with lower doses before gradually increasing them to higher doses, a process that usually takes months.
- Ah!

Title:

Content: 03 January 2023 - 18: 06
Greece seeks EU support for drug shortage crisis
Lebanon, news, lbci, pharmaceutical news, EU, Greece, Greece asks for EU support in response to drug shortage crisis
Greece on Tuesday asked the European Commission and its European Union neighbors to help tackle a shortage of medicines exacerbated by the export of home-made pharmaceutical products.
Health Minister Thanos Plevres wrote to the commission asking it to "intensify the production of medicines" across the bloc.
Greece has for months faced shortages of essential medicines, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and cough medicines.
Advertisement
In a letter to EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, Mr Pleiades said: “It is essential that central policies are adopted across the EU as a whole to solve this problem. ”
Intensifying production in the EU would be one solution.
The Greek Medicines Agency has banned the export of inadequately available products, saying one of the causes of the problem is the issue of global supply chains.
But the head of the Union of Greek Pharmacists, Constantinos Lorentos, said medicines made in Greece were among the cheapest in Europe and were exported at high prices.
He told the financial website Navtimbureki that the situation was "getting worse".
Blivres has pledged to step up inspections of wholesalers to try to prevent the export of rare medicines.
The main opposition Syriza party accused the conservative government of acting too late, saying "doctors and pharmacists have been warning about this problem since last year".
Advertisement
Read also.

Title:

Content: The number of people infected by the epidemic in China has soared, but "one medicine is hard to find", and people have turned to the black market for drugs
Subscriber
Font Size:
With a surge in coronary infections across China, antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid produced by Pfizer are out of stock, forcing people to turn to the black market for drugs.
According to Bloomberg, the coronavirus epidemic in China is severe, the demand for antiviral drugs has soared, and it is difficult to find one medicine in pharmacies and hospitals everywhere.
People have sought online sales channels to buy drugs, including generic drugs manufactured elsewhere but not approved for sale in China.
Sign up to continue reading the full article!
LIKE Our official Facebook page for more information

Title:

Content: On the Shambles of the American Health Care System and the Need for Medicare-for-All

I understand that there is a lot that is going on in this world today. We’re worried about climate change. We’re worried about the terrible war in Ukraine. We’re worried about inflation and the fact that wages are not keeping up with prices.

We’re worried about massive income and wealth inequality and the increased concentration of ownership that we see in our country – among many other things.

But the American people remain deeply concerned about an issue that by definition touches every single one of us – and that is our collapsing and dysfunctional healthcare system.

While it is not discussed much in the corporate media or here in the halls of Congress, we have today in the United States the most inefficient, bureaucratic and expensive health care system in the world. That’s not just what I believe. That’s what the American people know to be true because of their lived experience with that system.

I would hope that all Members of Congress take a hard look at a poll that was published yesterday by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. And this is some of what the poll disclosed:

At a time when I hear some of my colleagues tell us that we have the best healthcare system in the world, just 12% of the American people believe that health care in general is handled very well or extremely well in the United States. 12 percent.

At a time when we pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, only 6% of the American people believe that prescription drug costs in the United States are being handled very well or extremely well. Six percent.

At a time when COVID has exacerbated the crisis, only 5% of the American people believe that the mental healthcare system in the United States is being handled well or extremely well. 5 percent.

And when so many older Americans have died unnecessarily in nursing homes, and when so many cannot even find nursing home beds, just 6% of Americans believe that the quality of care at nursing homes in the United States is very good or exceptional. Six percent.

The American people increasingly understand, as I do, that health care is a human right, not a privilege and that we must end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all of its citizens.

Again, that is not just Bernie Sanders talking. That is what the overwhelming majority of the American people believe.

According to this week’s AP poll: 66% of the American people believe it is the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health insurance coverage. 66 percent.

Over 86% of the American people understand that it is absurd that millions of seniors lack dental care, hearing aids and vision care and they believe that Medicare should be expanded to cover these basic healthcare needs. 86 percent.

At a time when our long-term healthcare system is in shambles, 81% of the American people believe that Medicare should cover the outrageous cost of long-term healthcare for senior citizens and people with disabilities. 81 percent.

It is hard for me to imagine how anyone could defend a system in which over 70 million people today are either uninsured or underinsured. As we speak, there are millions of people who would like to go to a doctor but cannot afford to go to a doctor because they cannot afford the outrageous cost of a doctor’s visit or a stay in a hospital.

Frankly, I am tired of talking to doctors who tell me about the patients who died because they were uninsured or underinsured, and walked into the doctor’s office when it was too late. And we are talking about some 68,000 Americans who die every year because they are uninsured or under-insured. This is America. This is truly beyond comprehension.

I am tired of seeing working class families and small businesses pay far more for healthcare than they can afford which forces more than 500,000 Americans to declare bankruptcy each year because of medically related expenses. Families should not be driven into financial ruin because someone became seriously ill. How insane is that?

I am tired of hearing from Americans who lost loved ones because they could not afford the unbelievably high cost of prescription drugs, or hearing from constituents who are forced to cut their pills in half due to the cost. Today, almost 1 out of 4 patients cannot afford the prescription drugs their doctors prescribe.

You want to hear about crazy? Crazy is that people get sick. They go to the doctor. They get diagnosed and medicine is prescribed. But they can’t afford to buy the medicine. So they end up in an emergency room or a hospital at great expense to the system. That is crazy.

I am tired of talking with people who are struggling with mental illness but cannot afford the mental health counseling they desperately need. Last year, a record-breaking 100,000 people died of drug overdoses and I will tell you that in my office we get desperate calls from family members looking for affordable mental health counseling and, far too often, that help is not there.

It’s not there because in this system, geared toward the profits of the insurance companies rather than to the needs of the American people, we don’t have enough psychologists, counselors or social workers.

Unbelievable, despite spending far more per capita on healthcare than any other nation, we don’t have enough doctors. We don’t have enough nurses. We don’t have enough dentists. We do not have enough medical providers in general. We have more than enough people who bill us, and more than enough debt collectors who hound us to pay for a bill we cannot afford, but we just don’t have enough people to provide the healthcare that we desperately need. And, by the way, that crisis is only going to become worse as our society continues to age.

At a time of declining life expectancy, in the wealthiest country on earth, your health and your longevity should not be dependent on the amount of money that you have. It is an absolute outrage and grossly un-American that the number of years you live in this country is dependent upon your income. Studies have shown that the top one percent of Americans live 15 years longer than the poorest people in our society.

Healthcare is a human right that all Americans, regardless of income, are entitled to and all Americans deserve the best healthcare that our country can provide.

As Chairman of the Budget Committee, it is not acceptable to me that we end up spending over twice as much as virtually any other major country on health care, while our life expectancy and other healthcare outcomes lag behind most other countries.

Unbelievably, according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), we are now spending $12,530 per capita on healthcare. This is an outrageous and unsustainable sum of money.

In comparison, the United Kingdom spends just $5,387 per capita on healthcare while France spends $5,468, Canada spends $5,905, and Germany spends $7,382 while providing universal care to everyone.

The question that we should be asking is how does it happen that we spend so much money for healthcare, but get so little in return.

Let’s be clear. The current debate over healthcare in the United States really has nothing to do with healthcare. Frankly, it is hard to defend this dysfunctional system.

This debate has everything to do with the unquenchable greed of the healthcare industry and their desire to maintain a system which fails the average American, but which makes the industry huge profits every single year.

While ordinary Americans struggled to pay for healthcare during the pandemic, the six largest health insurance companies in our country made over $60 billion in profits last year, led by the UnitedHealth Group, which made $24 billion in 2021.

While millions of Americans cannot afford soaring healthcare costs, the top executives in the insurance industry receive huge amounts of compensation.

In 2020, the CEOs of 178 major health care companies collectively made $3.2 billion in total compensation – up 31% from 2019 – all in the midst of the pandemic.

According to Axios, in 2020, the CEO of Cigna, David Cordani, took home $79 million; the CEO of Centene, Michael Neidorff, made $59 million; and the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, Dave Wichmann, received $42 million in total compensation.

In terms of the pharmaceutical industry, last year Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie – three giant pharmaceutical companies – increased their profits by over 90 percent to $54 billion.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Moderna got a $926 million golden parachute after his company received $2.5 billion in taxpayer dollars from the Trump Administration to develop its COVID vaccine.

And, while over 330,000 Americans died during the pandemic because they could not afford to go to a doctor on time, the CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals made over $450 million in total compensation last year.

The current system is failing the American people. And the American people want change, real change.

In March, I was proud to introduce Medicare for All legislation with 15 Senate co-sponsors. Companion legislation in the House now has 122 co-sponsors.

This legislation would improve and expand Medicare to cover, over a 4-year period, healthcare to every man, woman and child in this country.

That comprehensive health care coverage would end out-of-pocket expenses and, unlike the current system, it would provide full freedom of choice regarding health care providers.

No more insurance premiums, deductibles or co-payments. No more “networks” which deny you your choice of doctors.

And when I talk about Medicare for All being comprehensive it would cover dental care, vision, hearing aids, prescription drugs and home and community-based care. In other words, M. President, it would do precisely what the American people want us to do.

Would a Medicare-for-all health care system be expensive? Yes. But, while providing comprehensive health care for all, it would be significantly LESS expensive than our current dysfunctional system because it would eliminate an enormous amount of the bureaucracy, profiteering, administrative costs and misplaced priorities inherent in our current for-profit system.

Remember: We currently pay twice as much for healthcare as do the people of virtually any other country – all of which provide universal healthcare. So, yes, we can provide quality of care for all at a much lower cost per person.

Under Medicare for All there would no longer be armies of people billing us, telling us what is covered and what is not covered and hounding us to pay our hospital bills. This not only saves substantial sums of money but will make life a lot easier for the American people who would never again have to fight their way through the nightmare of insurance company bureaucracy.

In fact, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that Medicare for All would save Americans $650 billion a year.

Now, trust me. I know the 30-second ads from the insurance and drug companies have told us that if Medicare for All becomes law, your taxes will go up. But what they won’t tell you is that under Medicare for All, you will no longer be paying premiums, deductibles and co-payments to private health insurance companies.

And what they certainly won’t tell you is that Medicare for All will save the average family thousands of dollars a year. In fact, a study by RAND found that moving to a Medicare-for-all system would save a family with an income of less than $185,000 about $3,000 a year, on average.

Now, if Medicare for All was so great, you might ask, why hasn’t it been enacted by now? Why hasn’t the United States joined every major country on earth in guaranteeing health care for all?

Well, the answer is pretty simple. Follow the money. Since 1998, in our corrupt political system, the private health care sector has spent more than $10.6 billion on lobbying and over the last 30 years it has spent more than $1.7 billion on campaign contributions to maintain the status quo. And, by the way, they are “bi-partisan.” In fact, their contributions go to many members of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

But, you know what I believe, M. President?

Maybe, just maybe, now is the time for Congress to stand with the American people and take on the powerful special interests that dominate health care in the United States. Now is the time to improve and extend Medicare to everyone.

This article is adapted from Senator Sanders’ senate floor speech on Sept. 13th.

Bernie Sanders is a US Senator, and the ranking member of the Senate budget committee. He represents the state of Vermont, and is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress.

Title:

Content: Lebanon..
Medication crisis is the talk of communication platforms and the army documents warehouse raids (Video)
With the continuation of the Lebanese crisis, the search for medicines has become a daily habit for thousands of Lebanese citizens, especially with the scarcity of a number of them, especially medicines for chronic diseases, and the scarcity of foreign exchange required to import these important treatments has complicated matters.
The pioneers of social media platforms in Lebanon expressed their anger and resentment at the poor conditions reached by the medical sector, in light of the stockpiling of medicines by some monopolists for the purpose of selling them at high prices without taking into account the health conditions of patients.
One of the activists tweeted: “Every pharmacist is motivated by the owners of drug cartels monopolized by being afraid of his interests and participating with them or benefiting from them and afraid to play the role. ”
Another asked, “Why are you silent, people of Lebanon, and what are you silent about your state of suffering while your leaders have medicine, food, fuel, electricity and they have worked as slaves. ”
The head of the parliamentary health committee Issam Araji tweeted, “The apparent process of forming the government Talaat Tabkha Bahs, your place is Roh.
A major interruption in medicines and medical supplies and on the market dollar price, and patients are unable to pay the imaginary costs of hospitalization and the war of stations and bread.
Immigrants at the airport.
And outrageous prices.
“A described lack of responsibility aimed at destroying the country and its regime. ”
Since 2020, the features of a shortage of medicines in the local market began due to the lack of the dollar necessary for imports, as was the case with wheat and fuel of all kinds.
Recently, the Lebanese Armed Forces raided warehouses where large quantities of medicines were stored for sale at the black market price.
The Lebanese army posted videos on Twitter documenting its raid.
Last month, Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan announced the seizure of tons of medicines hidden in warehouses in the center and south of the country, at a time when Beirut is suffering from a severe shortage of medicines.
Hassan ordered the sale of existing medicines to citizens and pharmacies, especially infant formula and necessary medicines, in the presence of the pharmaceutical inspection body of the Ministry of Public Health.
In the context, a UN official, on Saturday, expressed surprise at the “indifference ” of Lebanese officials to the situation of the people in the country, who are suffering from difficult living conditions.
This came according to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Lebanon, Joanna Frontska, during her meeting with Maronite Patriarch Mar Bishara Boutros Al-Rai in the summer patriarchal edifice in the town of Diman (North), according to the official Lebanese News Agency.
Frontska said she was "surprised by the indifference of officials to the situation of the people who are suffering due to the difficult living situation."
The agency quoted the sponsor as praising "the initiatives undertaken by the United Nations towards Lebanon," expressing hope "for more support so that the Lebanese citizen can withstand the crises he is experiencing."
After the meeting, Frontska said in a statement to reporters that "Lebanon needs urgent solutions, especially the formation of a government," stressing that the United Nations "will continue to support Lebanon," according to the same source.
Due to political differences, Lebanese officials have been unable to form a new government for more than a year to end the economic collapse and succeed the current caretaker government, which resigned six days after a catastrophic explosion at the Beirut port on August 4, 2020.
Since late 2019, Lebanon has been suffering a severe economic crisis that has led to a financial collapse, the loss of fuel, medicines and other basic goods, as well as a record rise in poverty and unemployment.
Source: Al Jazeera Mubasher + Social Media + Agencies
About this story
More News
Most Read

Title:

Content: Minister of Health: There is no shortage of medicines and supplies and we are working on rationalization and rationalization
Wednesday ، 26 October 2022 05: 11 PM
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar Minister of Health
Noor on
Leave a comment and read the comments of the readers.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health, stressed that there is no shortage of medicines and medical supplies, pointing out that there is a global shortage as a result of a shortage in supply chains due to the failure of factories to operate with the same efficiency due to Coronavirus.
He added at the ministry level that we transferred the financial commitments to the Unified Procurement Authority in order to be able to get everything we need, adding: "We are working on rationalization and rationalization in light of the global shortage in supply chains and coordinate on a daily basis with the Drug Authority to review all medicines."
In response to the demands of some deputies to allow medical staff to take vacations in accordance with the Civil Service Law, the Minister of Health asked how the situation is evaluated and there is a shortage of doctors in health institutions and allow vacations, saying: "The need to work is first of all, wondering how we have a shortage and at the same time open vacations, stressing that 50% of the force that we complain of inadequacy will not exist."
He pointed to the formation of a higher committee with all specialized professors to review the treatment protocols, pointing out that if the treatment protocol is changed, it is done without prejudice to the treatment received by the patient.
This came during the comment of Dr. Khalid Abdul Ghaffar, Minister of Health in the plenary session of the House of Representatives on the requests for briefing, questions and discussion, which amounted to nearly one hundred surveillance tools today.
Leave a comment and read the comments of the readers.
No comments on the news.
Leave a comment
Your comment will appear after the review.

Title:

Content: BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

Breaking The Rules Of Healthcare: Overpaying For Drugs That Underachieve

Since this time last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approvals for 42 new medications. The press releases for these drugs would lead a reasonable person to conclude that a pharmaceutical revolution is underway—that the drug industry is ushering in a brave new era of medical advances.

The truth is far less flattering. Despite enormous hype and dozens of new medications flooding the market each year, major pharmaceutical breakthroughs are exceedingly rare. The overwhelming majority of “blockbuster” drugs represent minimal (if any) improvement over existing treatments.

This is not because drug companies lack the scientific knowhow, research capabilities or dollars to deliver lifesaving medications.

Instead, drug-industry innovation has been stifled by an unwritten rule in healthcare; one that has guided nearly all pharmacological research and development (R&D) efforts of the 21st century.

The rule: Maximize drug profits by minimizing the risk of failure

In the previous century, before the term “wonder drug” was hyperbolically applied to every new FDA-approved medication on the market, drug companies almost always swung for the fences.

Consider the countless lives improved and saved by the true wonder drugs of the 20th-century.

Like insulin, discovered in 1921 to treat diabetes. Or penicillin, the infection-fighting antibiotic derived from mold in 1928. Or mechlorethamine, a 1940s weapon of chemical warfare turned cancer-fighting agent now used in chemotherapy drugs. Or the life-saving psychiatric medication chlorpromazine, now known as Thorazine, created in 1951. Or birth control (approved by the FDA in 1960), or statins that reduce heart-disease (like Lipitor, patented in 1985) or the HIV/AIDS treatment zidovudine (better known as AZT, 1987).

For each of these medications, the research and development (R&D) process was intense and time-consuming. The go-to-market costs were massive with the potential to bankrupt the underwriting drug companies involved.

But despite the expenses and risks, pharmaceutical leaders were driven then by an intrinsic desire to save lives. As George Merck put it in 1950 near the end of his 25-year run as Merck CEO: “We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow.”

In the 1980s, that outlook shifted. Newly elected president Ronald Reagan pulled back government regulations, which sent the stock market soaring. Pharmaceutical shares skyrocketed more than 950% over the next 12 years.

By the 1990s, outsized CEO salaries and exorbitant drug prices had become the norm. The focus of the industry swung from saving lives to increasing shareholder value. Drug companies wanted to maximize prices while minimizing drug-development risks. They succeeded, and drug spending in the United States took off.

To spotlight the difference, consider that from 1960 to 1980 prescription drug sales remained fairly static as a percent of U.S. gross domestic product, consuming just 5% of all medical costs. Between 1980 and 2000, however, sales tripled. Today, prescription drug expenditures exceed $460 billion a year, accounting for 16.7% of all healthcare dollars spent.

The smoke and mirrors of drug pricing

Pharma leaders love to trumpet how expensive and time-consuming it is to bring a new drug to market. They collectively assert that ever-rising prices are needed to “cover accelerated investment in researching and developing new and better medications to protect Americans.”

That message has found a receptive audience among patients. Today, 68% of Americans believe that the cost of R&D is “a major contributing factor” to high drug prices.

The data tell a different story about where the money goes. One report found that 9 of 10 top drugmakers spend billions more on marketing than R&D. Another investigation noted that 80 cents of every $1 in prescription drug sales go to something other than R&D—be it profit, overhead, taxes, etc.

To be clear: Drug companies are not struggling to make ends meet or afford the cost of R&D. In fact, a 2019 analysis found that drugmakers could afford to lose $1 trillion in sales and still be the nation’s most profitable industry sector.

Maximizing revenue by minimizing risk

Two recent FDA approvals—Aduhelm, the first new Alzheimer’s medication in over two decades, and Trodelvy, a targeted treatment for aggressive breast cancer—demonstrate that drugmakers aren’t living up to their potential, despite the high prices and industry hype.

The companies behind Aduhelm and Trodelvy have issued a combined total of 70 press releases (34 from Biogen and 36 from Gilead) about their respective flagship drugs.

Notwithstanding the sheer quantity of promotion, neither drug will have a meaningfully positive impact on the lives of people with Alzheimer’s or breast cancer.

Look at Aduhelm. Two years before its approval, Biogen halted testing amid inconclusive and concerning results. In trials, the drug wasn’t shown to preserve intellectual function for patients. But rather than abandoning the medication or pausing to invest in additional R&D, the company filed for accelerated approval, which the FDA granted against the cautions and protests of its scientific advisory committee.

Upon approval, Aduhelm was projected to earn upward of $112 billion in annual sales with an initial price tag of $56,000 (five times greater than its estimated value)—a maximal profit projection for a drug with minimal value. This controversial drug and its accelerated pathway to approval have congress taking a closer look at the FDA. And for good reason. Since 1992, nearly half (112) of the 253 drugs given speedy approval have not been proven to extend longevity or improve quality of life.

And then there’s Trodelvy, a key drug in Gilead’s oncology portfolio. It was invented by Immunomedics, Inc., which Gilead purchased for $21 billion (one of more than 30 cancer drugs Gilead has acquired in the past five years).

Priced at over $2,200 per vial, a 21-day cycle of the new breast-cancer treatment costs $16,000 and contributed to an 11% revenue increase for Gilead in 2021 (leading to a $19 million bonus for the company’s CEO).

So, is Trodelvy worth the price? A company press release boasts a 49% reduction in the risk of death for patients who take the drug.

That figure is misleading at best. In studies, the medication extended median overall survival to 11.8 months compared to 6.9 months in the control group. The “statistically significant survival benefit” noted in the press release makes it sound as if patients taking the drug beat their cancer. In reality, they died less than five months later than patients who took standard chemotherapy.

When we zoom out and look at the 90-some new oncology drugs approved by the FDA this century, the average gain in life expectancy is a mere 73 days. Much of that time is spent in pain, dealing with debilitating side effects while being isolated from loved ones.

By following the rule of maximizing profits at minimal risk, pharmaceutical companies now routinely price and promote minimally effective drugs as if they were lifesaving medications.

Even the highly effective Covid-19 vaccines—the most celebrated innovation of the 21st century—were brought to market with minimal risk. The federal government paid for much of the underlying development costs through decades of NIH-funded research and minimized the risks to companies by fronting $18 billion as part of “Operation Warp Speed.”

Breaking the drug-industry’s unwritten rule

For drug companies, the lure of charging high prices ($2.1 million in one case) and generating huge profits (more than any other industry sector) distorts research priorities. As a result, pharmaceutical companies ignore many of the biggest areas of clinical need.

Consider antibiotics, a drug category that remains extremely under-researched and underfunded. Public health officials agree that antibiotic resistance undermines our entire modern medical system. Nationwide, drug-resistant bugs are becoming a growing threat, putting millions of lives at risk. That is, unless drug companies can discover the next generation of treatments.

But there’s a problem: Antibiotics are usually prescribed for a short 10- to 14-day course, generating only a tiny profit. Thus, identifying a new class of antibiotics is (financially) risky and nowhere as profitable as the drugs currently garnering the most interest—like cancer drugs, which can be priced at $120,000 to $150,000 a year regardless of efficacy.

Right now, more than 600 cancer drugs are being tested for clinical use. Meanwhile, there are no breakthrough antibiotics on the horizon.

For the past two decades, life expectancy in the United States has stalled. Our nation needs better, safer, more effective medications. But drug companies won’t develop them until the industry inverts its focus: not on minimizing risk but on maximizing its impact on human lives.

Americans won’t be able to afford those drugs until another rule of the drug industry is broken: the rule governing how drug companies price their newest medications. That will be the focal point of the next article in the Breaking The Rules Of Healthcare series.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedInCheck out my website or some of my other work here

Title:

Content: The occupation army is concerned if any future war breaks out.
Why?!
Palestine Today - Gaza
Time: 06: 04 PM
December 11, 2022
There is concern within the military establishment of the Israeli occupation army in light of the data that talk about the lack of medicines and medical equipment needed by the ground forces in any future war.
According to the Hebrew newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth", the data of the occupation army indicate that there is a huge shortage of thousands of medicines, emergency supplies and medical equipment needed by the ground forces in any future war.
According to the newspaper, the reserve forces are short between 50% and 60% of what is required.

Title:

Content: Alert
In Tiankeng, Zhubei, the residents of the "Rift Walled City" predicted ironically: "Good improvement."
48 hours before the election, can the reconciliation of Wu Dongjin and Wu Dongliang become a common rule?
Li Lanlei is not hiding! The first case won the inner curtain without a tear, but there is a surprising discovery
Food and Drug Administration: Double the amount after the mask order is lifted
The Food and Drug Administration has updated the "Western Medicine Supply Information Platform", adding 54 new drug shortage reports this time, and 6 cases have not been completed in the past, totaling 60 cases.
However, the compound antibiotic “Amoxicillin / Clavulanic acid ” has been out of stock for a long time, and it is difficult to get it.
Chen Hui-fang, deputy director of the Food and Drug Department, said that there is no shortage of drugs at present, and only a few people have received a prescription temporarily and can't get the goods.
From May 17 to May 30, the Western Pharmaceutical Supply Information Platform announced that it had received 54 drug shortage notification cases, including 6 cases that had not been closed in the previous period, totaling 60 cases. 13 cases were investigated without shortage, 36 (33 drugs) were recommended to use substitutes, and 1 case was opened for public solicitation for non-substitutes. Supply has been restored and 6 items are being processed.
Novolex jelly crystal injection, indications are kidney transplantation, prevention of acute organ rejection, and so on.
There is a pharmaceutical license in China, and the industry reported at the end of May that there is a shortage of raw products due to quality problems, and the inventory is expected to be supplied by the end of July 112, and supply is expected to resume at the beginning of the third quarter of 112.
"Ertapenem sodium injection" is mainly used to treat moderate or severe infections caused by sensitive microorganisms, or has not been identified as the pathogen of the experience treatment treatment. The shortage of drugs is due to the cost problems of pharmaceutical companies, and will be discontinued from New Year's Day next year.
Chan said that the price of the drug, which is $651, has been negotiated with the Health Insurance Department to adjust the price.
However, there are still domestic manufacturers that can produce the same drug, and they are willing to cooperate with the pressure production.
On June 6, the Food and Drug Administration (FEHD) launched an open call for the importation or manufacture of drugs without substitutes. As for the supply of the compound antibiotic ammonicillin / clavulanic acid, the clinical use of "625mg" and "1000mg" is the main, and 625mg has 5 drug licenses, 2 domestic products, 3 imported, 1000mg has 4. All drugs are imported from abroad.
However, the primary pharmacy has been short of the "ammonocillin / clavulanic acid" compound antibiotic for more than half a year. Previously, the Food and Drug Administration had counted the demand, but the pharmacists were still unable to get the required amount.
Chen Huifang said, mainly due to the lifting of the mask order, respiratory diseases began to rise due to the use of 2.46 times this year, although manufacturers have stepped up production, production increased by 1.5 times, still unable to cope with the surge in national consumption, 625mg and 1000mg two doses, a total of about 4.43 million capsules per month.
Chen Hui-fang stressed that there is no shortage of ammonicillin / clavulanic acid in the clinical side. The supply of ammonicillin / clavulanic acid is normal in hospitals and clinics. Inventory supply.
Food and Drug Administration Antibiotics
Extended reading
WHO World Food Safety Day Wu Xiumei: Every day is food safety day in my heart
Food and Drug Administration: Low market share is hard to see
Is the beef shop closed?
Food and Drug Administration: Respect North City Administrative Discretion
Cancer in the United States in Taiwan?
Food and Drug Department: Safe supply before the end of the year
Related News
The rain storm is coming!
JIA XINXING: The Latest Record
The probability of rain in the next 10 days is high, Jia Xinxing, director of Taiwan's integrated disaster prevention engineering technology consulting company, pointed out on Facebook today that the plum rain will come on the 9th, and it should come on the 6th / 9th.
Business Opportunities and Potential Issues in Japan ’ s Post-Epidemic Tourism
Japan ’ s Golden Week holiday from April 29 to May 7, 2023, has seen a long-awaited tourism boom in Japan.
Pine machine pick up call card / 400 multi-purpose taxi Nu Wai intersection
Songshan Airport originally planned to test a diversified taxi pick-up test plan on April 1 this year, but suddenly shouted a card, more than 400 diversified taxis and taxis surrounded the Ministry of Communications yesterday afternoon to protest, questioning is...
Dragon Boat Festival: 5 to 7 times the peak travel time on weekdays
The Dragon Boat Festival holiday is June 22-25, the Highway Bureau said today that it is determined that the peak period of National Highway 5 will be congested and blocked, the car speed is below 40 kilometers, and the driving time is flat.
Railway Lunch Festival in Taipei, Taiwan - Traditional Lunch Menu, Roasted Duck in the oven
The Taipei City Tourism and Communication Bureau participated in the "Railway Lunch Festival" for the first time this year. From June 9 to June 12, the "Taipei Pavilion" was set up at the north...
Cheap Air Tickets See Here Vietjet Airways Offers 72-Hour Deals to Vietnam from 1850 CNY
In the second half of 2023, Vietnam ’ s low-cost airline brand “Vietjet Airways ” will offer a blockbuster discount that has not been seen before, and passengers will have the opportunity to grab ultra-low fares every Wednesday to Friday.
udn Forum
Product recommendation

Title:

Content: Egyptian News
Mohsen Hassan for DMC: Solving the Drug Shortage Crisis in the Next Few Weeks
Ahmed Wael Omar - Cairo on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 12: 36 AM - Dr. Mohsen Hassan, director of the commercial sector in one of the pharmaceutical companies in Egypt, said that in 2019 the Egyptian Drug Authority was established, a historic leap in the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry, pointing out that there are procedures to ensure the quality, effectiveness and safety of the drug starting from the raw material where it is analyzed more than once.
Mohsen Hassan added during an interview with the program "evening dmc", on the channel dmc, that the production processes of the drug are analyzed more than analysis, and the random withdrawal of the can inside the pharmacy, and change the raw material takes the same steps as the previous one again, and the matter has a large control percentage.
Mohsen Hassan stressed that after the state provided the dollar, it is now available to buy any raw materials, and the shortage of medicine is on the way to solve in the next few weeks, pointing out that the guarantee of the quality of the Egyptian product as a medicine is compared to the "brand".
He pointed out that the pharmaceutical companies are committed to any legislation or decisions of the medical authorities, which is an important part of the medical system and we have a great role in providing high quality treatment and a suitable price for the Egyptian patient, stressing that the Egyptian medicine during the recent period is comparable to foreign medicines, and 90% of the cans sold in the Egyptian market are produced by Egyptian companies.
Advertisements
You may also read.

Title:

Content: Locally
2022-08-02 04: 30: 55
Daily News
The shortage of commonly used pharmaceutical factories has led to the unusual practice of the Mainland and Western Medicine Hospital Authority
Share:
Hospital Authority Director of Cluster Services, Mr Tang Yiu-keng (pictured), pointed out that because of the shortage of paracetamol, the Hospital Authority purchased paracetamol tablets from the Mainland. He pointed out that when the situation is urgent, it is very unusual to use the designated patient drug use plan to introduce drugs. Production to avoid common drug shortages.
As for the earlier switch to the mainland antibiotic "cefoxidine for injection", which was also supplied by the original drug manufacturers, the mainland version was imported to cope with the sudden surge in demand.
The supply situation is stable and the use of the same antibiotics as the original contract has been restored.
Chief Pharmacist of HA, Mr Lee Shing-cheung (first from left), said that the percentage of pharmaceutical products purchased by HA in China remained stable at about 3%, with no significant increase.
Mr Tang reiterated that the Bureau will adhere to four major principles when purchasing drugs, including whether the drugs are registered and GMP regulated by the Department of Health; ensure product specifications by means of medicines; pass non-proprietary drug interchangeability tests and demonstrate bioequivalence to the World Health Organization (WHO) requirements; and give priority to the use of drugs with English drug names on the label.
Privacy Protection Policy
Please read and accept the following privacy policy and disclaimer carefully. By clicking "Accept", you agree to and agree to the privacy policy and disclaimer contained in the am730 website.
LEARN MORE
Acceptance

Title:

Content: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
« Health » reveals the reality of the lack of oncological drugs in pharmacies
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesman of the Ministry of Health and Population, responded to rumors about the shortage of some medicines in pharmacies, stressing that there is no shortage of medicines.
He added "Abdul Ghaffar" during a telephone intervention to the program "evening dmc", with the media Rami Radwan, and broadcast through the satellite dmc, that some drugs have more than one trade name but carry the same active substance, and multiple pharmaceutical analogues to 4 or 5 trade names.
He added that there is no shortage of drugs, even imported oncology drugs, which are priced by the state under the direct guidance of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Minister of Health, in coordination with the Drug Authority, to provide them regardless of the global rise.
External factors affecting the presence of certain oncological drugs
The spokesman of the Minister of Health pointed out that there are external factors affecting the presence of some imported oncology drugs in the market, including the lack of supply chains, or from the factory itself, stressing that all drugs have an Egyptian alternative.

Title:

Content: 24 May 2022 - 13: 35
on the pharmacist strike.
The medicine crisis is over.
Only the patient pays the price.
Lebanon, news, lbci, pharmaceutical news, pharmacies, strike, the patient alone pays the price
Enjoy watching our videos online
More details about our online video streaming packages
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Sign in
This is, in short, the case of any patient, in a country whose officials have not yet reached a radical solution to a crisis as old as the dollar crisis.
The higher the exchange rate, the more humiliated they are at the doors of pharmacies in search of a cut medicine.
Advertisement
* For the protection of intellectual property rights, please do not copy more than 20% of the content of the news, mentioning the name of the website of the LBCI Lebanon News and attach it to the hyperlink of the news under penalty of legal prosecution.
Advertisement
Read also.

Title:

Content: MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, January 7th 2023 - 10:36 UTC

Shortages forecast in Argentina due to restrictions on input imports

Friday, January 6th 2023 - 09:51 UTC
Full article 0 comments

Argentina's Chamber of Chemical Products warned that due to the restrictions on imports, some critical inputs have been arriving in the country in smaller quantities, which might result in shortages of medicines, soft drinks, and shampoo, among other items.

“There were drops of 20 to 25% in basic inputs” and predicted that “if we always consume the same and lesser quantities come in, there will be a lack of products” such as shampoo, soft drinks, and medicines, the Argentine Chamber of Chemical Products' Leandro Kolker told TN.

Kolker pointed out that the main problem was the modifications that took place during 2022 in the scheme for approving imports and pointed out that

“The scenario became more complicated as from October 17,” when the Economy Ministry established the new system [known as SIRA], which makes import requests “go through different filters of several agencies,” he added. “It is a matter of time” before shortages hit consumers.
Lino Stefanuto of the Chamber of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers said things were “complicated” for spare part manufacturers.

Import restrictions are also affecting surgeries, pet food, and livestock feed. The Argentine College of Cardiovascular Surgeons had already warned last month of a “serious and dangerous situation” due to the lack of “basic and essential supplies,” mainly from the United States and China. In this scenario, several surgeries have been rescheduled and in case of emergencies, surgeries are performed with whatever materials are available, sometimes endangering the patient's life, the organization said.

The Argentine Chamber of Animal Nutrition Companies (Caena) also said in mid-December that “the impossibility of importing micro-ingredients as a consequence of the non-approval and observation of the licenses, as well as the extended terms granted for the transfer of foreign currency abroad, began to generate stock shortages” of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are not produced in the country.

(Source: TN)

Categories: Economy, Investments, Argentina.

Title:

Content: Safety and security of pharmacies...
Patients who respond and don ’ t respond.
Mohamed Manfaloti _ Heba Press
It is no secret that the city of Settat has witnessed a wide geographical expansion, and the growth of demography as well, which made it incumbent on the officials concerned with the health sector and the pharmacist to think about programming more than two pharmacies during the guard, which coincides with the end of each week or during public holidays.
With each weekend, overcrowding in front of the two guard pharmacies rises in long and boring queues, and sometimes some types of medicine are not available in the latter, causing some relatives of patients to move to other cities such as Bershid, Al-Zoroj or Al-Bayda.
There are patients of different ages waiting for their turn, which opened the appetite of social media pioneers and some zealous citizens of the city, to interact with the demand to strengthen pharmaceutical services by adding two more pharmacies during the guard period taking into account the population density on the one hand, and alleviate the suffering of patients coming from outside the city wishing to buy their medicines.
Many citizens of the city of Settat, as well as patients coming from various areas within the region, confirmed that they are suffering from a real shortage in guard pharmacies due to the shortage of pharmacies that provide maintenance at night, during holidays and weekends, which confuses the work of these two guards in front of the volume of overcrowding and the level of arrivals.
Our sources also revealed that in addition to the aforementioned suffering, you find that some pharmacy guards often do not provide the necessary medicines, which makes the situation worse and puts patients and their families in mazes to search for other solutions.
Such a situation requires the guardian authorities to move to address it, and work to issue a decision to open more than two pharmacies to guard the city to alleviate the suffering of patients and their families.
Related Articles
Go to the top button

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
Pharmacology Division gives good news about the glandular medicine crisis and the lack of gelatin
Dr. Ali Auf, head of the pharmaceutical division, revealed the details of the shortage of gelatin in the Egyptian pharmaceutical market, pointing out that there are two manufacturers that provide this substance by up to 40%.
The head of the pharmaceutical division, in a telephone interview with the media Amr Adib, presenter of the story program, broadcast on MBC Egypt, on Monday evening, that these two industries are witnessing great pressure, which caused a real crisis, continuing that the crisis was dealt with quickly and raise production and thus the crisis was completely eliminated.
All the drug deficiencies are there.
In the same context, Dr. Ali Auf, head of the pharmaceutical division, pointed out that the problem of pricing in medicines concerns the pharmaceutical sector in Egypt, and the market situation is stable and all medicines that do not have alternatives to MOGO.
Thyroid medicine has become a national alternative and a good buy.

Title:

Content: Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
Sammy is patient.
Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
Sammy is patient.
The pharmaceutical industry reveals the date of solving the shortage crisis..
God will show it to us
The head of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry at the Federation of Industries, Dr. Jamal Al-Laithi, said that the pharmaceutical sector is suffering from a crisis due to the monthly dollar measures required for the sector, estimated at about $250 million per month to secure needs, whether raw materials or finished medicine, pointing out that the pharmaceutical market is witnessing shortages in some types of medicines by 30%.
Jamal al-Laithi added during a telephone interview with the media Lamees al-Hadidi that "the factories are operating at about 70% of their capacity and this will have a negative impact during the coming period if it continues, as it affects the shortages of medicine and on the other hand the economies of factories."
He pointed out that Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly is following this file with great interest, as we participated as a room in the meeting today in the presence of a ministerial group and the Central Bank and there are assurances on the management of the dollar during the coming period and Dr. Madbouly requested this from the Central Bank.
He pointed out that, however, the coming period needs two parts, the first part is the release of raw materials in ports and airports, estimated at about $97 million, and this will be managed urgently, as well as the promise to meet the monthly needs of the sector, estimated at about $250 million.
He stressed that over the past two months, one dollar of the total monthly needs of $250 million has been provided only by 20% of the amount at a rate of 10% per month, expressing his hope for a breakthrough in the crisis.
He revealed that the most important types that are experiencing a shortage are some colon and glands drugs, antibiotics and some sugar drugs.
On the situation of medical supplies, he said that the situation is more secure and stable because it includes life-threatening supplies such as corneas and stents, and sent a message of reassurance to citizens: “Do not worry the crisis will resolve soon and God will show it to us. ”

Title:

Content: Advertisement
Breaking news.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital spokesman: We suffer from a shortage of medicines and equipment and deal with cases only to survive
20-11-2023 | 18: 48
A-
A +
photos 0
A +
A-
Advertisement
Related Topics
Go ahead.
Advertisement
Our news via your email
SIGN UP

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
Despite the availability of the dollar...
Parliamentary action on the suffering of people with chronic diseases due to the lack of treatment
Dr. Hisham Hussein, Secretary of the Suggestions and Complaints Committee of the House of Representatives, submitted a request for a briefing to Advisor Dr. Hanafi Jebali, President of the Council, addressed to the Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, on the continued shortage of medicines and medical supplies, despite the availability of the dollar, and the impact of this on people with chronic diseases.
Hisham Hussein pointed out that the past few days have witnessed a great problem in the insufficiency of intensive care beds and emergency departments in hospitals, due to the frequency of critical cases, which were unable to get the necessary treatment on the scheduled dates.
Hisham Hussein explained that many people with chronic diseases such as heart, kidney, tumors, diabetes and others delayed the payment of their scheduled treatment, whether from health insurance, or treatment at the expense of the state, which caused complications that led to their need to enter hospitals in emergency departments or non-intensive care.
The MP stressed that because of the heavy pressure on hospitals, many cases were unable to get the necessary treatment, which led to many complications and portends a great problem.
The member of the House of Representatives pointed out that many have pinned their hopes on the availability of the dollar in the past period, to meet the needs of the medical sector of medicines and supplies, saying: However, it seems that more action is needed in this regard.
Hisham Hussein called on the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the concerned authorities, to take the necessary measures to provide all medicines and medical supplies for the benefit of chronic diseases, by reviewing all needs, stressing the need to facilitate procedures to obtain medicines through health insurance or treatment at the expense of the state.

Title:

Content: 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.
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.
Insulin, antibiotics and pressurized drugs top the list
Massive shortage of all chronic diseases drugs in Dakahlia pharmacies
Despite the announcement of increases in the prices of medicines, there is a severe shortage in Dawiya in Dakahlia governorate, which is one of the most consuming provinces of medicines due to its high population density.
Featured Medicines
The most prominent drugs that are in shortage in Dakahlia province is a long list, foremost of which are insulin drugs for diabetics, then all low pressure drugs of all kinds, whether tablets or drops, as well as solutions and important rheumatism drugs, along with all types of antibiotics and alternatives.
Diabetic disease
Abdul Rauf Ghanem says that he has been suffering from diabetes for years and was surprised several months ago by the disappearance of insulin, which caused his bad condition, as well as his daily suffering to search for it in all pharmacies without success, pointing out that the major pharmacies also disappeared insulin, what to do and who intervenes to end our suffering.
Liver Medications
Ahmed Mohammed Sadek adds that everyone knows that there is a coming increase in the prices of medicines, so what is the justification for the disappearance of medicines from pharmacies as long as prices will be increased?
He pointed out that he is one of the liver patients and has been searching for the necessary albumin for treatment for a whole week without success, and calls for the rapid provision of drugs, especially for patients with chronic diseases until this nightmare ends soon.
Disappearing Alternatives
Mr. Ibrahim confirms that the dentist prescribed him an antibiotic to treat infections in the teeth and searched for it in all pharmacies in vain, adding that he asked the pharmacist to bring an alternative, but the alternative unfortunately was not available as well, pointing out that patients are currently living difficult days as a result of the lack of availability of vital drugs.

Title:

Content: December 15, 2022
15 December 2022 ° C
50 medicines missing in Algeria, rare reasons
+ - 0 Read
President of the National Union of Private Pharmacists, Massoud Belambri, revealed that about 50 pharmaceutical brands are missing in Algeria, expressing regret that the regulation of the pharmaceutical market in Algeria has not been reached, despite efforts, legal reforms, inspection, control and reporting.
He explained that the scarcity of medicines is due to internal and external reasons, as the international market recorded a scarcity of medicines, such as paracetamol and amoxicillin, due to the scarcity of raw materials (which are included in medicines) and their high prices, and the countries producing raw materials give priority to their local market.
At the national level, the same speaker explained that the scarcity of medicines is linked to some legal texts that are not in line with the market, and the behavior of some drug distributors who "have turned into large wholesalers and suppliers of other distributors, and this behavior caused a great disruption in the distribution of medicines.
The radio guest called on the concerned authorities to take measures to avoid aggravating the situation.
By reviewing the prices of some drugs to ensure their availability and continued manufacture on the market.
He stressed that there is a fluctuation in the availability of insulin (despite the import of quantities of it, but the suffering has continued for more than a year.
On the other hand, the President of the Syndicate was surprised by the withdrawal of medicines from the national market and despite the publication of this list, doctors still prescribe them in the prescriptions, and here it must be pointed out the importance of coordination, communication and updating information.
Share your opinion

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
Pharmacology Division: There is no shortage of medicine and there is always an alternative of the same quality
Dr. Mohammed Shaheen, Assistant Secretary General of the Pharmaceutical Division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, said that the sale in pharmacies is in the commercial name.
Dr. Mohammed Shaheen, Assistant Secretary General of the Medicines Division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, said during his meeting with the program "Hazrat Al-Mawatin", broadcast on the satellite channel "Al-Hadath Al-Youm",: "The doctor writes the trade name of the patient for that patient believes that this is the medicine he needs."
Dr. Mohammed Shaheen, Assistant Secretary General of the Pharmaceutical Division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, said: "There is no shortage of medicines and there is always an alternative of the same quality."

Title:

Content: Skip to main content
You are the owner of this article.
You have permission to edit this article.
Edit

Local pharmacies are seeing a huge drug supply and demand problem

  • Updated
  • 0

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - We're nearing the end of cold and flu season, but many people are still getting sick.

Right now, many pharmacies are having trouble getting the drugs their customers need. That means patients are paying more for the drugs they do have.

Have you had a hard time getting any of your medication?

You voted:

A new survey was released by the "National Community Pharmacists Association." The survey finds that several drugs are in high demand at independent pharmacies.

Shawna Henshaw is a local mom in Terre Haute. She says basic medications are flying off the shelves.

"It's been kind of harder to get something to combat the cold and the flu. When we do find something, I'm grabbing it real quick, so I can feel better," said Henshaw.

Recently, she says she has been having trouble finding basic drugstore medications for her daughter and herself.

"I don't like to drive all around downtown trying to find something. I'll stop by something locally, but a lot of times, I have to drive around time to find it," said Henshaw.

Haley Funkhouser is the Pharmacist Technician at "Vigo Health Pharmacy."

In the past month, she says there has been a "40% price increase" on average in common medications. some are even more than that. This is due to inflation, discontinuations, and supply chain issues. With more people coming into the pharmacy sick, pharmacists can't keep up with demand.

Some drugs seeing an increase in prices are, Adderall, antibiotics, nebulizer solutions, child relief medicine and diabetes medication.

"We could not get in some insulin 'forever'. We couldn't get Trulicity, we couldn't get Ozempic, we couldn't get Mounjaro," said Funkhouser.

Funkhouser has kids of her own. She says these problems have also affected her family.

"As a mother myself, I had a hard time finding antibiotics for my two children, so I totally understand what people are going through. It's extremely frustrating," said Funkhouser.

With spring approaching, Henshaw hopes prices will decrease soon, but she says people still need their medications...Regardless of the prices.

"It's one of those things that people, you know if we have a short of this, we raise the price. People are still gonna buy it anyways," said Henshaw.

If people have trouble finding their medications, the pharmacy urges people to call their doctors and see if another similar drug is available.

Recommended for you

Title:

Content: International
2023-09-19 18: 35: 59
An unexpected shortage of a drug in Russia, only 4 pharmacies in Moscow have goods related to the war in Ukraine?
Share:
Russia has been in short supply of the antidepressant Prozac since its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Russian newspaper RBC said that as of September 15, only four of the nearly 2,400 pharmacies in Moscow had Prozac for purchase, and only two of the 1,300 pharmacies in St. Petersburg.
In Novosibirsk and Kazan regions there are not even goods.
One of the largest local pharmacy chains admitted to the newspaper that Prozac was out of stock and was now selling surplus stock.
Another source said that the last batch of Prozac delivery date is July.
Prozac ’ s sales in Russia broke records last year, and demand for the drug surged 63% in the weeks following Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine.
According to RBC, experts believe that the rise in sales of antidepressants is due to the constant news coverage of the war in Ukraine, coupled with the economic downturn and Western sanctions, which have caused anxiety among Russians.
For example, Putin has called up reserve troops to fight, which has caused pressure on domestic families, and the Russian military has also suffered heavy casualties, which has made the Russians even more worried.
US Prozac producer Eli Lilly withdrew from the Russian market in March due to Russia ’ s military presence in Ukraine, leaving the distribution agency in Russia to Swixx Biopharma, which said it would continue to supply Prozac.
The Russian Ministry of Health stressed that there is no suspension of the delivery of Prozac.
Ukraine situation ｜ war critic: drinking vodka can be anti-depressant
In response to the drug shortage caused by the sanctions, Russia has approved about a dozen alternative antidepressants with the same main ingredient as Prozac.
It is reported that in addition to Prozac, there is also a shortage of cardiovascular drugs in Russia due to restrictions on supply by Western companies, and there is also a shortage of hepatitis C and epilepsy treatment drugs.
It is reported that only 30% of people living with HIV in Russia have access to highly effective anti-HIV treatment known as “cocktail therapy ”.
The shortage of antidepressants has also caused concern among pro-military commentators in Ukraine, with some saying, “Let them join special military operations, and the depression will disappear there, ” another said,“ Drink vodka. ”
“Russia has a lot of tedka.
By accepting the following privacy policy and disclaimer, you agree to the privacy policy and disclaimer contained in am730.
LEARN MORE
Acceptance

This report examines the scope of medication shortages between 2021-2024, identifies affected medications, analyzes underlying causes, and provides actionable strategies for caretakers managing patients with chronic life-threatening conditions.

Title:

Content: I'm sorry.
The mind of Abu Qarra writes..
Consumer Vortex Between Effectiveness and Safety of Medicines - Alzheimer 's Disease Example!
13.01.2023 10: 34 AM
In an important and perhaps historic precedent, the US Food and Drug Agency, which is considered one of the most important specialized agencies in the world, has approved a qualitative drug to treat Alzheimer 's disease, and this in itself is a historic breakthrough, in light of many attempts to discover a drug for Alzheimer' s disease and various forms, in the past by giant pharmaceutical companies spent hundreds of millions of dollars, and in light of the huge increase in the number of people. Under the age of 60 or 70, which makes up the majority of people with Alzheimer ’ s disease, and in light of the increasing expenses borne by health agencies and insurance companies in the world to deal with the disease.
Alzheimer ’ s disease is a disease that develops gradually, that is, over time, and it is agreed or almost agreed scientifically, that the cause of this disease is the formation of a protein and slowly in the form of a cloud of cells or sites of memory cells in the brain, and that this protein is formed by the stimulation of an enzyme. Tin, will limit the formation of cloudiness around cells in the brain, thus limiting the progression, slowing or freezing of the development of Alzheimer's disease in a severe and potentially fatal way, and this is what the new drug that has been registered by the US Agency, despite the controversy that accompanied the development and registration process is still raging.
Through my experience in developing drugs and working with international pharmaceutical companies, the reason for the controversy is mainly due to the vortex or balance of two important factors for the discovery, development or registration of any drug, namely the effectiveness, safety or extent of the negative effects of drug use, and these factors have stopped or stopped the development of important drugs for many difficult diseases in the past and present, such as cancer, heart, depression and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's.
Important drugs for Alzheimer ’ s disease have been discontinued in their final stages because of their negative effects on their effectiveness in fighting the disease, including a drug that was being developed for Alzheimer ’ s several years ago, in the form of a semi-natural biological drug that reaches the brain and deals with Alzheimer ’ s disease and reduces it, but at the same time it was shown that a large number of patients who took part in the final stages of the trials had problems with limb movement. Specialized health, with significant physical, scientific and health implications.
In general, it is well known that the subject of "food and drug safety", which reaches the consumer or the patient, concerns all people in our country, as it is in other countries of the world, large and small, women and men, because everyone in one way or another consumes food and medicines, and therefore they have the right or right to receive the correct information about what reaches them, especially in these days or in this period. Chronic or non-communicable diseases that spread in our country and in the countries around us, and with unclear reasons or factors about it.
The safety, effectiveness or validity of human drugs is a very important issue, especially in the patient who consumes drugs, and sometimes if they do not achieve the desired benefit, the consequences of their use may be severe and deadly, especially when these drugs are taken for serious diseases, and over long periods of time, and therefore the patient has the right to know about two important topics related to the drug being consumed, namely safety and effectiveness.
In addition to the importance of receiving the correct information in an organized manner, to the Palestinian patient or consumer, about the safety and effectiveness of the medicine that is consumed, we get reports from time to time about seizure or confiscation, or about the presence of medicines and pharmaceutical or medical preparations that are invalid, expired, unlicensed, or anonymous in the Palestinian markets, where the risk is that these products can easily find their way. To the hands of the consumer and thus to the inside of the body, and its effects and repercussions, may be immediate in the form of poisoning or pathological symptoms, or far-reaching effects in the form of serious diseases that appear after a period, without or are difficult to explain or have passed time to deal with.
It is known that pharmaceutical companies, before the introduction of the new drug on the market, carry out safety tests for many years on the active substance and other inactive substances in the composition of the drug, and before the new drug is examined or tested on patients before it is put on the market, safety studies are carried out on animals in the laboratory or healthy volunteers of humans. We know that according to the applicable laws in any country, the medicine must carry the expiration date of the medicine, as well as the environmental conditions of storage of the medicine, and the expiration date depends on several factors, including the quality of the medicine, the form of the medicine if it is liquid or solid, the way it is given to the patient, and the nature of the chemicals in the medicine. Effective chemical, in terms of the period of stability in its original form and non-decomposition to other chemicals within a specified period of time, as well as the expected conditions of the drug presence of temperature, humidity and light, and therefore the presence of expired drugs in the market must be treated immediately as unfit for use, especially if these drugs are given for sensitive diseases.
In order to combat this phenomenon effectively, in addition to the periodic monitoring role that is supposed to be played by the official bodies represented by the Ministry of Health and other departments, it is supposed to carry out periodic tests that are applied to drugs before registration or before marketing. Agencies that market corrupt or invalid medicines and preparations, as well as other chemical preparations such as cosmetics, detergents, etc.
Although the effectiveness and safety of drugs are focused on during the development of the drug, these two factors should not be overlooked after the arrival of the drug to the market and then to the consumer, and here should be paid attention by the consumer and constantly to matters related to the safety or effectiveness of the drug, and if there are any abnormal complications, should be reported to the responsible authorities immediately, or even by observing the form of the drug, color, and of course. Taking the drug to the expiration date and storage conditions, and that in the event of any health complications or lack of benefit from the drug, it is supposed to stop consuming it and communicate with the competent authorities to avoid repercussions that may worsen the disease or negatively affect health.
All articles express the views of their owners and not the views of Watan News Agency
Design & Development

Title:

Content: The number of people infected by the epidemic in China has soared, but "one medicine is hard to find", and people have turned to the black market for drugs
Subscriber
Font Size:
With a surge in coronary infections across China, antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid produced by Pfizer are out of stock, forcing people to turn to the black market for drugs.
According to Bloomberg, the coronavirus epidemic in China is severe, the demand for antiviral drugs has soared, and it is difficult to find one medicine in pharmacies and hospitals everywhere.
People have sought online sales channels to buy drugs, including generic drugs manufactured elsewhere but not approved for sale in China.
Sign up to continue reading the full article!
LIKE Our official Facebook page for more information

Title:

Content: Pharmaceuticals Division: Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States have shortcomings like theirs..
A complete breakthrough in 3 months - Sunrise Gate
Friday 26 July 2024 1: 46 AM Cairo Cairo 24 °
Most Read
You might like it, too.
Share your opinion
Do you support calls to boycott some restaurants that have been proven to support the occupation soldiers?
Pharmaceuticals Division: Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States have shortcomings like theirs..
Full release in 3 months.
Mohamad Shaaban
Published on: Friday 26 July 2024 - 1: 04 AM | Last updated on Friday 26 July 2024 - 1: 04 AM
Dr. Alaa Auf, head of the pharmaceutical division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, said that the market is witnessing daily pumping of regular production from factories, adding: « The availability of medicines began to be very tangible this week, and important shortcomings began to appear in the market and are available, and patients began to organize on their usual medicines ».
He added during statements to the program « Thursday Dialogue » broadcast on the screen « Event Today », that the end of the crisis is expected in two or three months, stressing that the solution to the shortage of drugs lies in writing the scientific name of the drug instead of the trade name.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation, explaining that the image of Egypt abroad shows it as if it is without medicines, while the reality is its availability, but the problem lies in the culture of the patient and doctors who rely on the brand names of medicines.
He stressed that each medicine has 20 to 30 alternatives, adding: "I am not satisfied with the current situation, because the image of Egypt abroad shows that it does not have medicine, while we have medicine, but the problem is in the culture of the patient and the habits of doctors are the basis of the problem.
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states have shortcomings like their own, but they deal with the scientific name, so no one hears about a drug crisis in these countries. ”
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar called on the Minister of Health to issue instructions obliging doctors to write the drug in the prescription under the scientific name, stressing that if applied, Egypt will not suffer from a drug crisis.
He pointed out that the Drug Authority has set controls focused on the provision of medicines in areas suffering from shortage, while areas suffering from less shortage will receive medicines later, expecting that citizens will feel better within a week or ten days.
You might like it, too.
Share your comment

Title:

Content: A community.
The reality of running out of cancer drugs
Khalid Ait Taleb, Minister of Health and Social Protection, said that the availability of medicines is subject to supply and demand and to international market conditions and their effects.
Ait Taleb said, in the weekly oral questions session of the House of Representatives, that the strategy of his ministry, to achieve the strategic stockpile, and secure the reserve stock of medicines, does not mean that Morocco will be safe from interruption Read More »
You can read the article after:
Or...
You can log in below if you are subscribed.
Subscriber Login
Go to the top button

Title:

Content: Health Secretary faces mounting pressure from campaginers to address drug shortages

Campaigners have called for Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to urgently tackle a dire shortage of the only licensed drug available to people living with motor neurone disease.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins (Image: getty)

Patients have been forced to visit multiple chemists to find riluzole, which slows the progression of the brutal terminal condition by a few months, due to a supply issue that has created a UK-wide stock shortage since September.

One MND sufferer, who did not want to be named, recently had to go to 15 pharmacies before they could get the drug.

Tanya Curry, chief executive of the MND Association, has written to the minister saying: "We are now receiving reports daily from across the country that patients are unable to access their prescribed medicine, with no stock available in pharmacies and no indication of when it will become available.

“Some newly diagnosed patients are being denied their only medication option due to the lack of available supply. This is absolutely not good enough.”

She added: “The lives of people with MND are already limited by this devastating condition. They do not have time to wait, and certainly should not have to spend their precious days fighting to get the medication they deserve.”

Patient Lee Millard said: “We have but one drug, riluzole, for MND currently and anything that risks patients not receiving this one single tablet adds to the distress of day to day life.

“Our main charity, the MNDA, have raised with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) but have received no details of what the issue is nor how it will be resolved. This just adds to the concern.”

A DHSC spokesperson said: “We understand how distressing medication shortages can be, which is why we’ve been working closely with manufacturers to resolve these issues as soon as possible and ensure patients have continuous access to MND medication in the UK.

“We are aware of an issue with one supplier but alternative suppliers should have stock available for patients who require it.

“We are determined to improve the lives of people with MND. That’s why, in November 2021, we committed to spend at least £50million on MND research over five years ending in March 2027.

“It is hoped this will enable faster progress towards treatments for this debilitating condition.”

Become an Express Premium member
  • Support fearless journalism
  • Read The Daily Express online, advert free
  • Get super-fast page loading
Would you like to receive notifications from this site?

Title:

Content: Advertisement
Breaking news.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital spokesman: We suffer from a shortage of medicines and equipment and deal with cases only to survive
20-11-2023 | 18: 48
A-
A +
photos 0
A +
A-
Advertisement
Related Topics
Go ahead.
Advertisement
Our news via your email
SIGN UP

Title:

Content: Is there a shortage of supplies in England?
From food to medicine...
February 26, 2023 22: 45
Eastern Network Television
More News Clips
The UK seems to be in the grip of a shortage of supplies.
After the earlier egg shortage, there is now a shortage of vegetables and medicines in the area.
Tomatoes have quadrupled in the past year, eggplants and peppers have doubled, and cauliflower has also soared because of shortages, supermarket shelves are empty, and British Italian restaurants are forced to supply white pizza.
Even medicines are in short supply, and antidepressants and flu drugs are difficult to buy.
The report quoted the local chefs' association as saying that the price of tomatoes has soared fourfold in the past year, from £5 to £20 per box, and the price of canned tomatoes has doubled, from £15 to £30 per box. Wholesale prices of peppers and eggplants have also doubled.
This was a challenge for Italian restaurants that did not like tomatoes, and local Italian restaurants had to ration tomatoes and increase their prices.
Local farmers warned that Niris, carrots and broccoli could be in short supply as the UK and Europe cope with climate change.
Farmers say their crop of carrots has fallen by nearly a third, calling it “a nightmare. ”
In terms of drugs, Olivier Picard, the owner of a drugstore, said that in recent months, he has not been able to buy nearly 200 drugs, so far he has not been able to buy penicillin and some antidepressants, and the supply of flu drugs is also limited.

Title:

Content: HI, {{username}}
Manage account
Change password
HEADLINES
{{headlineCount}} new {{headlineCount = = 1?
'update': 'updates'}}
+ MORE HEADLINES
Health Minister: Most of the problems we see are due to lack of funds
21.
MAY
2022
A
+
A
- Ah!
Print
Email
Email
A
+
A
- Ah!
Minister of Public Health Firas Al-Abyad said that "no one can afford the drugs for cancer and incurable diseases, and the Council of Ministers will support the item related to the support of the drug for four consecutive months."
He pointed out that "the crisis we are going through is unprecedented, as well as other factors such as administrative disruption and quarrels," adding: "Our problem is outside the scope of the ministry and we ask everyone to intensify efforts."
He said: “Most of the problems we ’ re seeing are the result of a lack of money.
We are going through exceptional circumstances and everyone should join hands to get the country out of the impasse. ”
MORE ABOUT
ADVERTISE HERE
JUST IN
TRENDING
HEADLINES
{{headlineCount}} new {{headlineCount = = 1?
'update': 'updates'}}
+ MORE HEADLINES
TRENDING

## Scope of the Global Medication Shortage Problem

### Global Impact
Medication shortages are a widespread issue affecting healthcare systems worldwide.

Title:

Content: -- -- -- / -- -- --
Site Management
Central Pharmacy announces receipt of 62 drugs to treat cancer patients
The Director General of the Central Pharmacy of the Hospitals, Samir Farhat, revealed that 62 drugs were received for the treatment of cancer patients.
Farhat said on Sunday in a statement to the third radio channel that within the framework of the program of the central pharmacy, the central pharmacy received a large amount of drugs intended for the treatment of cancer patients.
“From November 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023, we received 62 cancer drugs, ” he said.
"The central pharmacy has met all the needs of hospital pharmacies across different states."
He added that the central pharmacy has all the material means to take care of all hospital requests in a timely manner.
The director of the central pharmacy pointed out that the problem of drug shortage is a global problem, due to the Asian manufacturers of the drug as well as problems related to supply, in addition to the closure witnessed by China during the COVID-19 crisis.
Add your comment
All fields are required, and your email will not be published.
Please adhere to the site policy in the comments.
Your comment has been sent for review, it will be published after approval!
COMMENTS
0.
Excuse me! Excuse me!
There is no content to show!

Title:

Content: Advertisement
Breaking news.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital spokesman: We suffer from a shortage of medicines and equipment and deal with cases only to survive
20-11-2023 | 18: 48
A-
A +
photos 0
A +
A-
Advertisement
Related Topics
Go ahead.
Advertisement
Our news via your email
SIGN UP

Title:

Content: Struggling for treatment.
The collapse of the health sector threatens people with chronic diseases in Sudan (video)
After a year of war in Sudan, health facilities in the capital Khartoum are reeling from the devastation of heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Fighting in the capital has led to the closure of a large number of hospitals and medical facilities, the reduction of health services provided to citizens, and the scarcity of medicines for people with chronic diseases such as kidney failure and cancer patients.
Lack of life-saving medicines
“We need more life-saving medicines inside the hospital, ” said Samar Ali, a doctor at East Nile Hospital for Al Jazeera Mubasher, stressing that kidney patients are the most affected because they need immediate treatment with devices that require electricity, while electricity is cut off for many hours.
The pharmacist at East Nile Hospital, Mohamed Sabeel, revealed that dialysis centers were bombed in the war, and that patients are crammed into one or two centers and washing is limited to one session due to overcrowding.
Sabil stressed the urgent need for medicines for chronic diseases, such as pressure, cancer and kidneys, in addition to the need for diabetics for insulin needles, which are not always available inside medical facilities.
Difficulty paying for service
With regard to the patients, Ahmed Abdullah, who is being treated in East Nile Hospital, said that he suffered from a health condition that required treatment not available in the hospital, and said that he had difficulty in paying for the surgery needed to treat his injured eye.
A message to stop the war
For her part, the director of Wamda Development Organization, Aziza Hassan, stressed that “citizens suffer from the scarcity of treatments, such as diabetes, kidney, and anemia, in addition to the treatments of children, which have been the victims of the lack of a large number of children. ”
Aziza concluded her speech by sending a message to stop the war, saying: "We say no to war, and both sides must leave their weapons, we want peace by any means possible."
While the Sudanese Ministry of Health estimates the number of kidney patients at about 8,000, Sudanese medical sources confirm that the numbers are much higher.
Source: Al Jazeera Direct

While the provided documents focus primarily on medication affordability in the United States, the problem extends globally with similar underlying causes affecting multiple countries.

Title:

Content: Member of the health of deputies: drug companies face a real crisis because of the high prices of manufacturing supplies
0 2
Drug prices have been rising in the recent period, affected by the crisis of fluctuating exchange rates, and the increase in the cost of raw materials and production requirements imported from abroad, the situation is paid by the simple patient, where it is supposed to take into account the social dimension when considering the re-pricing of pharmaceutical products, especially that medicine is rare products, which is traded at a price decided by the government in advance.
The Egyptian market includes more than 170 pharmaceutical factories, hundreds of third party manufacturers, 70 thousand pharmacies and 1200 drug stores, according to the estimates of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry of the Federation of Industries and the pharmaceutical division of the Chambers of Commerce, which pointed out that the volume of Egyptian consumption of medicines during 2023 reached about 135 billion pounds, an increase of more than 15%. Compared to 2022, which witnessed sales of 117.7 billion pounds, with drug sales expected to rise to 150 billion pounds this year, a growth of more than 11%.
For her part, Irene Said, a member of the House of Representatives Health Committee, said that some pharmaceutical companies operating in the Egyptian market are facing a real crisis due to the high prices of raw materials, especially with the instability of the outlets to provide dollars to complete the import process. The medicine is due to the need for the dollar and the prices of selling its products do not suit the costs of the manufacturing process, stressing that the existence of a difference between the official and free price of the dollar is one of the reasons for the current crisis.
The prices of medicines for chronic diseases have increased by 15% during the past month, while the prices of medicines for other diseases have increased by 20%, while the varieties of medicines for sugar, cold and baby milk ranged between 20% and 25% and extended to include a number of products of local and foreign companies. The production of medicines from abroad in hard currency, warning of the depletion of the stock of raw materials needed for manufacturing in some companies, and the start of importing other materials at new prices, which reflects that there will be an increase in the prices of home-made medicine products by at least 17%, with the possibility of raising them again in the event of a global movement of raw materials and a difference in the exchange rate of the dollar against the pound.

Title:

Content: Friday 17 November 1443 AH - 17 June 2022 |
Programs
Watch our latest episodes online
Araji: Consumption of medicine more than 2020 by about 800 million dollars means that there is smuggling and must be controlled
The Health Committee held a session chaired by MP Assem Araji and attended by MPs: Enaya Ezzedine, Pierre Bou Assi, Amin Shri, Ali Mekdad, Bilal Abdullah, Mohammed Al-Qarawi, Salim Khoury, Fadi Saad and Fadi Allama.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Mahmoud Zalzleh, Executive Director of Parts and Operations at Banque du Liban (Banque du Liban), President of the Pharmaceutical Importers Association Karim Jabara, Marwan Hakeem, President of the Medical Importers Association Salma Assi, President of the Pharmacists Association Ghassan Al-Amin, and the pharmaceutical factories Carole Abi Karam and Berta Abi Zeid.
The committee discussed the reasons for the loss of some drugs from the market.
After the session, the chairman of the committee, MP Araji, said: “Today, for three and a half hours, we discussed the medicine crisis experienced by all Lebanese.
There are drugs related to heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy and incurable diseases, that is, for all kinds of diseases.
There are medicines that are cut off and people are searching for the medicine from one area to another, even if it is sold at double the price, but these are very few and exploit people, while 90 percent of the pharmaceutical sector suffers.
The problem is that there are medicines in hospitals, so if someone suffers from low pressure or blood poisoning, if they are not given these medicines, they may die.
So, there is a difficulty in the hospital care departments because there are medicines that are only used in the care rooms and they are missing. ”
He added: "The pharmacist holds the warehouse responsible because he does not deliver medicine, and I confirm that the pharmacist is oppressed because he is in the barrel of the gun, and the warehouse holds the importer responsible and the last holds it to the Bank of Lebanon, which in turn carries it to the importer.
Over the course of 3 and a half hours, each party has different figures than the second, and the problem is that the government, when it developed the support plan so far, we put the so-called rationalization of drug support, and so far the government is not able to take a decision and it is throwing the issue on the House of Representatives.
The government has to make a decision quickly because the story is lost, and the reason is smuggling medicine out of Lebanon, unfortunately, at a time when the Lebanese need medicine, which is a crime.
Therefore, the subject of penalties with regard to medicine and all goods is supposed to increase the penalty, not to enter the person for 15 days and then leave.
We note that there are those who buy cancer drugs with thousands of dollars and put them in their pockets and leave for the nearest country of Cyprus, Turkey and others, sell them and earn thousands of dollars, and if found out he will be imprisoned for 15 days! ”
He continued: "The situation of medicine is very difficult, so what is required of the security services of customs and security forces and the ministerial committee, especially the government, which is supposed to act, even if it is a resigned government, but it is not permissible to resign from the health security of the people, and this is a serious issue.
We noticed that some pharmacies in Bekaa, Metn or Dahiya were closed because they no longer had medicines.
This led me and the minister of health to meet with the governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon last Thursday.
We discussed the matter with him in the presence of the adviser of the Minister Dr. Mahmoud Zalzla and responsible for the support related to medicine, Mr. Noman Ndour, and we said that the situation is no longer bearable.
The governor gave us figures that were very different from those provided by drug importers.
The governor says that in 2020 he gave them $173 billion, which is acceptable, and he issued a statement saying that we gave them $485 million until May 20, that is, since the beginning of the year, and there are bills submitted by $535 million, and another from May 10 to 20 of it worth $212 million.
He says if I continue like this I will pay the equivalent of two and a half years to support the medicine.
We agreed to form an audit committee from the Banque du Liban and the Ministry of Health, which began work the next day, Friday.
They also met on Saturday and today to find out which bills are coming into the country in exchange for a subscription or not.
They gave us pencils and said it was true that the import of medicine in 2021 was more than in 2020 because of Coronavirus, smuggling and storage, and that there was almost $100 million more than the first four months.
This is what importers say, in just a year, about $800 million more than last year.
Suppose this figure is correct, ask: if you have taken, as in the past year, and it is known that Lebanon consumes $100 million between medicine and medical supplies every month, that is, the Banque du Liban paid them 400 million during the first months and says 85 increase Coronavirus, smuggling and storage, or 485 million dollars.
So, where's the medicine, of course there's smuggling to make empty profits and we have the cheapest medicine in the area.
All of them want to escape and here is the responsibility of the security services and customs and they are supposed to control smuggling. ”
“Some drug importers have admitted to having a portion in their warehouses, and the question is why they don ’ t deliver or distribute the medicines, ” he said.
They say the Banque du Liban (BDL) has asked for pre-approval, meaning that even after the medicine is brought into Lebanon, the BDL wants pre-approval for delivery.
But we are in a crisis, and we wished for them to distribute the medicine, and for the Banque du Liban, and this is what we told his representative at the meeting today, to convey to the governor that 485 million dollars and 535 million and 212 thousand were spent according to priorities in order to provide medicine in the country, and some of them are in stores because there are problems between the Banque du Liban and pharmaceutical companies.
"We also talked about the interruption of medical supplies.
And as you know who will enter the hospital if he has a car or a piece of land, he will sell them because everything the patient needs is in dollars, and the captain of the importers of medical supplies says I am a Muslim, but I am not responsible if, as I said, each side throws the charge on the other, and the hospitals take “Fresh Money ” (cash) and I do not enter and hand them 85.15 Some colleagues also have information that medical supplies are sold in hospitals, and the hospital syndicate says no, so we live in a bird. ”
“For hours of discussions we couldn ’ t figure out who was responsible.
And I know the truth about those, my friends and colleagues, but we did not understand from them the truth about whom and each side throws the blame on the other.
I believe that the state bears part and the resigned government is supposed to do its duty and we made a great effort with His Excellency the Minister to alleviate the suffering, but nothing can be done if the government does not take its role and take decisions to protect the national pharmaceutical industry.
We hoped that the ruler would act quickly for the sake of the national industry to save it from this critical situation and not to export medicines abroad, and at the same time, we should increase the prescription of generic, incurable and cancerous medicines.
I hope that colleagues will not give prescriptions because we have heard that there are prescriptions given under fictitious names in order to avoid this subject, and the Medical Syndicate should intervene and take the necessary measures. ”

Title:

Content: Skip to main contentSkip to navigation

It’s time to guarantee healthcare to all Americans as a human right

It is time to end the international embarrassment of the US being the only major country that does not guarantee healthcare

Let’s be clear. The current healthcare system in the United States is totally broken, dysfunctional and cruel. It is a system which spends twice as much per capita as any other major country, while 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, one out of four Americans cannot afford the cost of the prescription drugs their doctors prescribe, and where over 60,000 die each year because they don’t get to a doctor on time.

It is a system in which our life expectancy is lower than almost all other major countries and is actually declining, a system in which working class and low-income Americans die at least ten years younger than wealthier Americans.

It is a system in which some 500,000 people go bankrupt because of medically related debt.

It is a system in which large parts of our country are medically underserved, where rural hospitals are being shut down, and where people, even with decent insurance, have to travel hours in order to find a doctor.

It is a system in which, in the midst of a major mental health crisis, Americans are unable to find the affordable mental health treatment they need.

It is a system where, despite our huge expenditures, we don’t have enough doctors, nurses, dentists, mental health professionals, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals – and where we spend less than half as much of our healthcare dollars on primary care as do most other countries.

It is a system in which, while we are desperately in need of more health professionals, young people are graduating medical school, dental school or nursing school, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt; a system in which Black, Latino and Native American doctors and nurses are grossly under-represented as medical professionals.

It is a system in which health care for most Americans remains attached to employment. Incredibly, during the pandemic when millions lost their jobs, they also lost their healthcare. It is a system in which the quality of care you receive in this country is dependent on the generosity of your employer or whether you have a union. Not surprisingly, workers at McDonald’s do not receive the same quality care as executives on Wall Street.

All of that has got to change. The function of a rational and humane healthcare system is to provide quality care for all as a human right. It is not to make tens of billions of dollars every year for the insurance companies and the drug companies.

Yes. It is long overdue for us to end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee healthcare to all of our people. Now is the time to finally pass a Medicare for All single-payer program. And that is the legislation that I am introducing in the Senate this week with 14 co-sponsors. In the House there will be over 100 co-sponsors.

Let’s be honest. The debate over Medicare for All really has nothing to do with healthcare. It has everything to do with the extraordinary greed of the healthcare industry and their desire to maintain a system which makes them huge profits.

While ordinary Americans struggle to pay for healthcare, the seven largest health insurance companies in our country made over $69bn in profits last year and the top ten pharmaceutical companies made over $112bn.

The corporate opposition to the desperately needed reforms of our disastrous healthcare system is extraordinary.

Since 1998, the private health care industry has spent more than $11.4bn on lobbying and, over the last 30 years, has spent more than $1.8bn on campaign contributions to get Congress to do its bidding.

The pharmaceutical industry alone has over 1,800 lobbyists on Capitol Hill – including the former leadership of both political parties.

That’s how business is done in Washington. Well, we intend to change that dynamic. We intend to fight for legislation which ordinary Americans want, not what powerful special interests want.

Our Medicare For All legislation would provide comprehensive healthcare coverage to all without out-of-pocket expenses and, unlike the current system, it would provide full freedom of choice regarding healthcare providers.

No more insurance premiums, no more deductibles, no more co-payments, no more filling out endless forms and fighting with insurance companies.

And comprehensive means the coverage of dental care, vision, hearing aids, prescription drugs and home and community-based care.

Would a Medicare-for-all healthcare system be expensive? Yes. But, while providing comprehensive healthcare for all, it would be significantly LESS expensive than our current dysfunctional system because it would eliminate an enormous amount of the bureaucracy, profiteering, administrative costs and misplaced priorities inherent in our current for-profit system.

Under Medicare for All there would no longer be armies of people billing us, telling us what is covered and what is not covered and hounding us to pay our hospital bills. This simplicity not only substantially reduces administrative costs, but it would make life a lot easier for the American people who would never again have to fight their way through the nightmare of insurance company bureaucracy.

In fact, the congressional budget office has estimated that Medicare for All would save Americans $650bn a year.

Guaranteeing healthcare to all Americans as a human right would be a transformative moment for our country. It would not only keep people healthier, happier and increase life expectancy, it would be a major step forward in creating a more vibrant democracy. Imagine what it would mean if our government worked for ordinary people and not just powerful corporate interests.

  • Bernie Sanders is a US Senator and the ranking member of the Senate budget committee. He represents the state of Vermont

Most viewed

Most viewed

Title:

Content: My channel
* Drag categories can be customized sorting
Recover Default OK
Setup
Alert
Chinese in Florida accused of unconstitutional, discrimination
NBA / Tetum shot 34 points, Green Shirts stopped the Heat from shutting down
I am afraid that 1 / 5 of the elderly do not take the medicine according to the prescription.
According to a study published by the JAMA Network Open, a growing number of older adults are unable to afford prescription drugs, and data shows that about one in five people over the age of 65 skipped, delayed and took less than a prescription last year, or took someone else ’ s medication, due to worries about spending.
Study lead author Stacie Dusetzina, a professor at Vanderbilt University, said the results were surprising. Another study published in the medical journal Medical Care showed that in 2016, about one in seven elderly people did not take a prescription for cost reasons, a significant increase compared to last year ’ s data.
Dusetzna attributed this increase to rising inflation and the cost of prescription drugs.
She said the study may not reflect the situation of younger people, but other studies have shown that it is difficult for young people to afford certain drugs, such as insulin.
Dusetzna noted that while the cost is a problem, sometimes patients still need to take prescription drugs, other ways are needed to pay for the cost.
About 30% of the elderly use copayment or coupons to pay for drugs; a quarter of the respondents ask doctors to prescribe lower-priced drugs; and about 17% go to drugstores to compare prices.
More than 8% of the respondents gave up basic needs such as gasoline and groceries to pay for drugs, and 4.8% of the respondents were in debt to buy drugs.
Adam Gaffney, a physician at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, said the results of the study are consistent with earlier research and reality.
Tricia Neuman, executive director of the Medicare policy program at KFF, a nonprofit formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, noted that the study ends the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act with the goal of reducing the high cost of prescription drugs for the elderly and that “future polls will tell us what we might need to do. ”" We are going to do more and more to keep drug prices down. "
Dusetzna said doctors should be comfortable talking to patients about whether they can afford drugs, and nearly 90 percent of respondents said they would be willing to discuss the cost of drugs with their doctors.
Medicare Medicine Massachusetts
The last one.
4 Cases in which a family dies and debts turn your back
Extended reading
Super-popular
More >

### Key Statistics from Available Data
- Prescription drug prices in the US are 2-3 times higher than in other countries
- Nearly 30% of US adults skip doses, cut pills, or don't fill prescriptions due to cost
- 8% of American households purchase medications outside the US for lower prices
-

Title:

Content: Protectionism

Where's My Stuff?

Supply chains are struggling, but they're not as fragile as you think.

|

Americans can be forgiven for thinking that every critical system we rely on is breaking down. The country—nay, the globe—has endured years of social, political, environmental, and epidemiological upheaval. Pick your shock: COVID-19, wildfires, George Floyd protests, climate change, January 6. They all seem like harbingers of a chaotic future.

But backlogs in Pottery Barn orders are when shit gets real.

From Bosch dishwashers to bucatini to chicken wings to pipette tips, the past year has seen a raft of press coverage about delays, price spikes, and other disruptions to the production and shipment of goods to the United States. Strains in the global supply chain caused semiconductor shortages and big price increases for used cars. Toyota, Ford, and General Motors have all scaled back production in recent months because of the dearth of computer chips. When the container ship Ever Given temporarily ran aground in the Suez Canal, the Financial Times asserted that the accident showed "the inherent fragility of tightly stretched global supply chains at the very moment when they are already being buffeted by a pandemic and in an era when the philosophical underpinnings of global trade are being challenged."

Journalists aren't the only folks freaking out. Less than six weeks into his term, President Joe Biden issued an executive order mandating that eight cabinet departments examine the resilience of U.S. supply chains, warning that "pandemics and other biological threats, cyber-attacks, climate shocks and extreme weather events, terrorist attacks, geopolitical and economic competition, and other conditions can reduce critical manufacturing capacity and the availability and integrity of critical goods, products, and services." More recently, Biden has floated multiple policy responses, including using the National Guard to untangle snarled supply chains.

The administration's concern about global supply chains fits in with the political elite's larger ideological pivot away from trade liberalization and toward a more mercantilist posture. Indeed, this is the area where the Biden and Trump administrations sound the most similar. Biden's U.S. trade representative, Katherine Tai, stated in a congressional hearing that trade liberalization and tariff reductions were no longer her office's principal goals. In June, Biden's National Economic Council director, Brian Deese, declared that "resilient supply chains must be at the center of a 21st century industrial strategy." One of Biden's senior directors at the National Security Council has told me that "the U.S. is not a trade-dependent nation." Another administration official questioned to me whether the notion of comparative advantage in trade still exists. Never one to be outdone in policy freakouts, Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) has introduced a bill requiring more than half the value-added of any critical good to be domestically sourced.

The recent convulsions in global supply chains do highlight ways the globalization of the past decade differs from the idealized models taught in introductory economics courses. Globalization has produced far more market concentration than would have been expected a generation ago. The tripling of the Baltic Dry Index (which measures the cost of shipping dry goods such as coal or steel between ports) and the quintupling of U.S.-China container shipping rates over the past year demonstrate that frictionless markets do not exist. Rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and China reveal the ways that great power competition will complicate cross-border exchange. And the pandemic showed how the global economy can be buffeted by shocks that textbooks typically do not discuss.

A closer look at global value chains reveals ways that both public-sector and private-sector actors have prioritized short-term efficiency at the expense of long-term resilience. But it also reveals a mismatch between a lot of overheated political rhetoric and an actual understanding of how the global economy works. Many of the past year's issues are temporary—and when it comes to strained global supply chains, globalization is more often the solution than the problem.

When Ford completed its massive River Rouge plant in 1928, it created a factory that controlled every facet of car production, including its own steel mill. Trade volume was high during this era, but very few intermediate goods crossed borders. In the time since then, the industrial organization of production has changed a wee bit.

Whereas trade a century ago was primarily in finished goods, manufacturing now has disaggregated itself into myriad chains of subcontractors. As one MIT Sloan Management Review article summarized the phenomenon, we have a "deeper tiering of supply chains whereby suppliers draw upon their suppliers who in turn draw on their own networks of suppliers in multistage production networks."

Why did this happen? The end of the Cold War eliminated most geopolitical concerns about where to locate production facilities. Basic trade theory meant an awful lot of facilities expanded in China, the low-cost manufacturing locale. The reduction of transportation and communication costs made it easier for production to be disaggregated and managed at a distance. "Just-in-time" manufacturing encouraged companies to hold minimal inventories and count on suppliers to respond quickly to fluctuations in consumer demand. Management consultants stressed the efficiency of offshore outsourcing.

The most widely cited example of the globalized supply chain is Apple's iPhone. Most people know that the iPhone is manufactured in China and exported to the United States. What is less well known is that China plays only a minor role in the creation of its added value. The iPhone's flash drive comes from the Japanese firm Toshiba. Samsung, a South Korean firm, provides the application processor. A German company provides the camera module, and a U.S. subcontractor provides the Bluetooth application. All of these parts are then assembled by a Taiwanese firm, Foxconn, with operations in Shenzhen, China.

The management consultants were right about the efficiency. While productivity in the service sector stagnated after the turn of the century, manufacturing productivity continued to soar.

The political economy advantages were also apparent after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The last time a financial shock of that magnitude hit, the trade wars of the Great Depression began. 2008 was different. A World Bank study examined trade restrictions immediately after 2008 and found that "vertical specialization" was the most powerful economic factor that limited tariff increases. The more a country's economy was enmeshed in global supply chains, the less likely it was to raise barriers to trade. Global supply chains help explain why the Great Recession did not lead to trade wars like those of the Great Depression.

So these global value chains seemed like an unalloyed good. And then the 2010s happened.

As global supply chains grew more and more complex, there were signs of trouble on the horizon. In 2011, the Chao Phraya River floods in Thailand severely but temporarily constricted production of hard disk drives, because close to half of global output was sourced from Thailand. In 2017, U.S. hospitals faced an acute shortage of IV bags after Hurricane Maria knocked out a key production facility in Puerto Rico.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Fukushima in Japan affected key nodes in global manufacturing. Some firms suspended sales of cars in certain colors because key ingredients were stored near Fukushima and inaccessible. An iPhone designer warned The New York Times that "there are all kinds of little specialized parts without second sources, like connectors, speakers, microphones, batteries and sensors that don't get the love they deserve. Many are from Japan."

These supply chain hiccups highlighted one underanticipated phenomenon of globalization: Rather than strengthen market competition, it strengthened market concentration. Consumer-facing firms from Walmart to Ford to Apple to Home Depot stressed cost minimization ubër alles. Firms that excelled at efficiently producing one part became near-monopolists for that component. This is how Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) became the dominant global supplier of customized semiconductor chips. Other chipmakers focused on design, subcontracting to the Taiwanese firm for the physical production. As TSMC accrued comparative advantages in chip production, even established competitors such as Intel struggled.

The return of geopolitical competition has also flummoxed producers. China is a critical node in almost every global value chain. Over the last decade, as Xi Jinping has consolidated his power, the Chinese state has taken a number of steps that have raised hackles in Western capitals. Some of these, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, have been overhyped. Others, such as the subjugation of the Uyghurs, repression in Hong Kong, increasing control over United Nations agencies, and the expansion of China's nuclear arsenal, have not. Xi's "wolf warrior diplomacy" has triggered evaluations in the United States, Europe, and Pacific Rim about just how vulnerable their economies are to disruptions from Chinese suppliers. The 2010 rare earth embargo on Japan in response to a territorial dispute in the East China Sea offered a warning about how China could weaponize the interdependence of global value chains; Huawei's dominance in 5G offered another. Erratic U.S. policies during the Trump administration served in turn as a warning about how Western governments could disrupt global value chains.

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problems of both market concentration and political whimsy. As China reeled from the pandemic's first wave, there were disruptions across the global economy. China exercised state power to seize domestically produced personal protective equipment and other medical supplies; the United States soon reciprocated. According to Global Trade Alert, 157 export controls on medical supplies and medicines were put in place across 86 jurisdictions in the first six months of the pandemic. U.S. leaders expressed concerns about vulnerability to China weaponizing its role in medical supply chains. So did journalists: In May 2021, 60 Minutes warned that "COVID showed that the global supply chain of chips is fragile." The Washington Post concurred: "The pandemic has exposed fragile global supply chains across multiple continents."

Countries exercised vaccine nationalism, stunting global immunization against COVID-19, which in turn facilitated the development of more dangerous variants of the novel coronavirus. The delta variant has penetrated Chinese port facilities, Malaysian chip factories, and Bangladeshi textile plants, leading to periodic shutdowns that have spiked container shipping prices and lengthened order backlogs.

Throughout all this, producers seemed to be stuck in quicksand. The past decade has not been shy in signaling to firms that there might be risks to increasingly disaggregated global supply chains. If natural disasters, pandemics, and geopolitical tensions were not enough, now management consultants are piling on. The same consultants who urged offshoring a generation ago are now telling firms to retrench from globalized supply chains. But most firms do not seem terrifically interested in changing their practices. Multinational corporations like Apple have not altered their supply chains in response to political pressure. Whether one looks at business surveys or journalistic accounts, the results are the same: Most U.S. firms do not plan on moving their supply chains away from China.

A world in which the distribution of goods is held up due to constant supply chain disruptions seems less than ideal. What can be done about it?

One thing that would be great is if everyone would acknowledge that a lot of the issues with global value chains right now have to do with demand more than supply.

When the pandemic began, there was an immediate and acute contraction of demand. Producers assumed that this would be the new normal and reduced their output. They were mistaken. The combination of emergency COVID-19 relief and the work-from-home phenomenon led to a resurgence of demand. The affluent class had considerable sums of disposable income. The pandemic made spending on services a less viable option, so instead they spent it on stuff: cars, furniture, home office equipment, gaming systems, house renovations, and so forth. The shortage of semiconductor chips was caused by the unexpected twin rebounds in demand for cars and consumer electronics. As one Federal Reserve analysis explained, "the pause in demand was much shorter and the rebound in demand was much stronger than anticipated." These demand surges surprised suppliers and led to the production bottlenecks that are currently seizing up Pottery Barn orders.

While demand has been stronger than expected, supply in critical sectors coped better than expected. The predicted pandemic breakdowns in supply chains for food and medical supplies proved to be overstated. Surveys of logistical firms last year revealed that the pandemic had minimal effects on their operational capabilities. Even when it came to medicines and personal protective equipment, there were only minor disruptions after the initial shock in March 2020. Claims that the global supply chain in medical products rendered states vulnerable to weaponized interdependence proved to be wildly exaggerated. The pandemic affected service sectors such as tourism far more severely than any manufacturing sector. Indeed, Slate's Jordan Weissmann pointed out recently that "imports were up 5 percent year-over-year in September, and up 17 percent compared with the same time in 2019." This happened despite the decline in air passenger traffic, which restricted yet another means of shipping goods by air. Supply has increased—it's just that demand has surged even more.

The private sector is responding to market signals by ramping up production and ensuring multiple supply lines. Intel, Samsung, and TSMC are all spending tens of billions of dollars to build new chip foundries in the United States. Skyrocketing shipping prices are incentivizing additional construction of new container ships. The Wall Street Journal reports that in the first five months of 2021, there were nearly twice as many orders for new container ships as there were in all of 2019 and 2020 combined. To ensure holiday inventory, large retailers like Walmart and Home Depot have chartered their own container ships. Container shipping rates have already started to decline from September peaks.

But these capital investments designed to boost resilience will take years to kick in. This time lag is one reason private-sector actors have been so slow to invest in resilient supply chains in the past. If disruptions are expected to be temporary, such investments might seem like overreactions. Given the billions of dollars at stake, this sort of risk aversion is unfortunate but understandable.

Long-term investments in resilience make some sense, but short-term investments in robustness make even more sense. Resilience is the ability to adapt in response to permanent shocks to the system. Robustness is the ability to maintain output levels in response to a short-term hit. The most obvious way that firms can enhance their robustness is to warehouse supplies of key components. Car manufacturers, for example, are pledging to ramp up their inventories of critical components to ensure a more reliable production stream.

Yet the auto sector appears to be the exception and not the rule in bolstering inventories. For most firms, increasing reserves of component parts is an expensive proposition. To a corporation, holding inventory is like holding cash: Why sit on an asset that yields no rate of return? Lean manufacturing was popular in the first place because it boosted profits.

Even as semiconductors have grown scarce, chipmakers and chip customers have battled over which firms will shoulder the costs of carrying greater inventory. Under the just-in-time system, the chipmakers had held the inventory. As one semiconductor CEO said earlier this year, the shortage has shifted the balance of power: "If they expect the semiconductor [suppliers] to be the bank, to keep having a big working capital to support them, they can forget it."

Bottlenecks in the global supply chain threaten the macroeconomic and microeconomic health of the United States. On the macro side, supply chain issues are driving fears of inflation; if not brought under control, this could cause the Fed to prematurely raise interest rates. A related problem is consumer panic over rumored shortages. See, for example, the effect of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline—drivers panicked and went to gas stations to top off their tanks, temporarily worsening the problem.

On the micro side, the high price of inventories and shipping imperils market competition. Supply risks privilege larger firms over small and medium enterprises. Multinational corporations have the capacity to make large-scale investments in resilience and robustness. They are also able to use their market power to ensure continued access to scarce container billets in ships; your local bodega, by contrast, is unable to charter an entire container ship. The more stretched the global supply chain, the more sectors that look like monopolies rather than a competitive marketplace.

When it comes to fixes, there has been a surplus of really dumb ideas about what the government could do. Hawley's idea of essentially nationalizing supply chains stands out as the dumbest. Such a move would take well more than the three-year window he proposes to execute. Prices would permanently rise due to new inefficiencies. The opportunities for rent-seeking are legion; every sector would be lobbying Washington that what they produce is "critical." It is also worth remembering that Hawley's go-to policies of protectionism and immigration restriction shoulder much of the blame for the lack of truck drivers that have contributed to delivery delays.

The Biden administration's responses have run the gamut. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tried to laugh it all away by reducing the issue to "the tragedy of the treadmill that's delayed." That will not play well with a country used to just-in-time delivery and trying to move past the pandemic. Nor will Biden's proposal to open the port of Los Angeles 24/7 have much of an effect. While ports are currently jammed, there are also bottlenecks in railroad cars and truck drivers—both of which are issues that predated the pandemic. Even if the port gets unstuck, the traffic jam will just migrate to America's railroads and highways.

Looking at manufacturing more generally, some firms have acknowledged that they were unaware of the geographic distribution of their suppliers prior to the pandemic. This is one area where the Biden administration's efforts to collect data on supply chains could be useful.

If the federal government can identify (or even stock) priority components that would affect multiple sectors, those strategic reserves could theoretically bolster the robustness of the U.S. economy. But not if such investments become a stalking horse for protectionism.

All of the evidence of the past year suggests that globalization helps economies recover more quickly from supply chain difficulties than aggressive efforts at homeshoring. This is because most shocks are localized, and access to global value chains facilitates recovery more quickly. Indeed, protectionism is partly to blame for the current mess. As the Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome recently noted, the Jones Act, which mandates use of U.S.-built, crewed, and flagged ships to move cargo from one U.S. port to another, has raised the costs of coastwise shipping, putting even more pressure on truck and train transport.

Unsurprisingly, U.S. producers seeking relief from skyrocketing shipping rates have asked the Biden administration to reduce tariffs. Protectionism isn't the solution to these breakdowns in our supply chains; it's part of the problem.

Title:

Content: Navigation

Big Pharma's big push into Africa's cancer market

Home to 1.4 billion people, the world’s second most-populous continent is a burgeoning market for cancer drugs. But as pharmaceutical companies like Roche are learning in Kenya, the challenges are immense.

This content was published on December 13, 2022 - 09:00
Jessica Davis Plüss (text and video), Pauline Turuban (data visuals), Céline Stegmüller (video), additional reporting by Mercy Murugi

Once the backwater of charities, cheap generic drugs, and vast amounts of multilateral aid for infectious diseases like HIV and malaria, Africa was long overlooked as a market for cancer drugs.

About the series

This is part of our series on the dilemmas facing governments, hospitals, and patients over the affordability of new, expensive treatments for cancer and other life-threatening genetic diseases. You can find all of the stories in the series on this pageExternal link.

End of insertion

Two decades ago, cancer sufferers in Kenya, for example, were hard pressed to find top-selling medicines like Roche’s Herceptin and Mabthera in the country’s public hospitals – patients either traveled to India to buy them or needed a special license to import them. There was also the matter of cost – the drugs were way beyond the means of most Kenyans, who largely paid for medicines from their own pockets.

But now, as the world’s fastest-growing continent with a young and rapidly urbanising population, Africa has become the new frontier for lucrative cancer treatments.

“We need to change the narrative about Africa, not only in Roche, but the industry as a whole,” said Michael Oberreiter, who heads global access in the pharmaceutical division of the Basel-based company. “If you look at the world population, it’s clear that the majority of new cancer cases are going to be in those countries.”

Today, most of the world’s new cancer casesExternal link are found in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The proportion rose from 15% in 1970 to 56% in 2008 and is predicted to account for as much as 70% by 2030. But survival rates are much worse than in rich countries.

Roche wants to change that by taking the latest, most expensive, cancer treatments to the region. “We want to change the view that cancer is a death sentence in Africa,” Oberreiter told SWI. “The only way to do that is to bring our innovation.”

Oberreiter’s theory is that countries should be able to leapfrog over older, sometimes less-effective drugs and procedures, and go straight to new treatments such as immunotherapies, in the same way countries like Kenya skipped brick-and-mortar banks and went straight to mobile banking.

The company’s investment in Africa over the last five years has grown by an average 4% per year as it opened new business units in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya.

Roche isn’t the only company targeting traditionally neglected markets. In 2020, Basel-based Novartis was the first major drugmaker to set a target on patient reach in low-income countries for its newest, so-called innovativeExternal link medicines, including cancer treatments. In May, Roche announced a goal to double the numberExternal link of patients in 85 LMICs treated with 16 of its newest therapies, nine of which are for cancer, by the end of 2026. This year, Sanofi, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca all made commitments to expand the reach of their cancer drugs.

Roche and Novartis were also among the first industry partners in the Access to Oncology Medicines CoalitionExternal link (ATOM), launched in May, to expand access to cancer drugs in LMICs.

Trial and error

Roche’s first attempt to bring specialised cancer therapies to Kenya was, even by its own account, a flop.

In 2015, the company and the Kenyan government signed a cost-sharing deal to provide trastuzumab which treats an aggressive form of breast cancer called HER2 positive. But Roche, which sells the drug under the brand Herceptin, ended the programme in 2018, after only about 150 patientsExternal link received the treatment and the government struggled to cover its share of the cost. “Even though the drug was free to patients, the patients still didn’t come,” Jackie Wambua, head of government affairs at Roche’s East Africa office, told SWI.

Behind the story

Why we chose to cover this story

There’s been incredible innovation in the treatment of cancer and other genetic diseases that is improving survival and quality of life for many people. However, these aren’t reaching most of the world. We wanted to understand why and what is being done to ensure that everyone has access to potentially life-saving treatment.

Finding sources

In all our reporting, we are vigilant in ensuring balanced reporting. This means all relevant facts and positions are considered when selecting sources to analyse a subject. In this case, we reached out to global health organisations with projects in Kenya for suggested experts, spoke to the largest pharmaceutical companies in Basel and in Kenya, and worked with a local journalist to identify government officials, hospitals, and patient organisations that are influencing the debate and create a space for patients to share their experiences. We traveled to Kenya for first-hand accounts of the topic, and to make our own observations of the issues.

If you want to know more about how we work, have a look hereExternal link.

Get in touch

If you have any question regarding this topic that you’d like to have answered, or start a discussion with us and other readers, let us know via email: english@swissinfo.ch.

End of insertion

There were no national cancer guidelines at the time, no budget for cancer care, and almost no testing for the HER2 gene, which is essential to determine whether Herceptin should even be prescribed. “No one even knew what Herceptin was and what it did,” said Mary Nyangasi, who leads cancer control at Kenya’s Ministry of Health.

What Roche learned through this process, said Oberreiter, was that you “have to think about the whole health ecosystem”.

Roche has now taken a different approach. It has enlisted the help of Kenyan oncologist Fredrick Chite Asirwa, who set up the non-profit International Cancer Institute (ICI) in Eldoret, western Kenya, in 2019 on his return to the country after several years of postgraduate medical training in the US.

His institute, tucked away down a dirt road in a part of Kenya known for producing Olympic marathon runners, is a far cry from the big hospital complexes typically associated with cancer care in developed countries. It survives on a mix of Chite’s personal savings, donations, and grants from clinical trial sponsors including Roche, Japanese firm Takeda, and US drugmaker Pfizer.

ICI is trying to fill many of the gaps in cancer care, not just in Kenya but across Africa, which suffers one of the worst shortages of oncologists, equipment and services in the world. Cancer also receives only a sliver of the overall amount of donorExternal link funding given to healthcare globally.

Kenya is in a better position than many African countries but still only has one oncologist for 6,000 cancer patients compared to one for 140 patients in Switzerland. There are three public hospitalsExternal link with radiotherapy machines in the whole country, and just a few laboratories that do molecular testing for genetic biomarkers, a procedure essential for many of today’s advanced, increasingly personalised, cancer drugs.

Hidden inside ICI’s single-story buildings and cobalt-blue corrugated-iron huts surrounded by large trees are some of the most advanced diagnostics machines in the world, including a Ventana 200 – one of Roche’s newest digital pathology devices that can scan tissue samples in seconds.

External Content

ICI is training physicians across the country, performing advanced diagnostics, building up digital cancer registries, and supporting government efforts to decentralise care so that patients don’t have to travel long distances for treatment.

The centre is involved in at least 20 industry-sponsored clinical trials for new drugs, or those that are already approved in western markets but haven’t been tested in east Africa. In the process, Chite’s team is amassing a treasure trove of data into how patients in the region respond to treatments.

External Content

Roche is one of several companies to support ICI’s work, donating equipment and furniture to at least 15 local cancer clinics and sponsoring training and psychosocial support groups for survivors.

“If I look at the next 125 years of Roche, we need those health care systems in these countries to be at a certain level,” said Oberreiter.

Building a market

Big Pharma’s investment in the cancer care ecosystem is welcomed by doctors and Kenya’s health ministry. But they, along with some public health advocates, say the support doesn’t resolve key problems – lack of availability and affordability of drugs.

A surveyExternal link of 165 oncologists in LMICs published last year found that of the 20 most important cancer drugs, only one, which has been on the market for 70 years, was widely available at a price that didn’t impose a significant financial burden on patients. Two-thirds of respondents said prescribing Herceptin put their patients at risk of catastrophic expenditure, which the WHO definesExternal link as medical spending that is 40% or more of a household’s disposable income.

“Sometimes we can’t follow the global standard of care simply because a drug costs too much for our patients,” Mohammed Ezzi, an oncologist in Nairobi, told SWI.

Companies have a responsibility to make their drugs available and affordable for those who need them, said Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, founder and CEO of The Max Foundation, which provides free cancer drugs for patients in poor countries including Kenya. Countries “are not going to build up diagnostics and infrastructure if there’s no treatment. You can’t train physicians if they don’t have the drugs,” she told SWI.

The foundation has been running a programme for Novartis that involves its drug Glivec (imatinib), a life-saving treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia, that had a list priceExternal link of $26,000 a year when it was launched in the US. When the programme started in 2002, Novartis identified 70-80 countries where it had no plan to market the drug because it wasn’t commercially attractive. The Max Foundation built up a distribution network and identified doctors who could dispense the drug safely in those countries, helping to treat more than 80,000 patients, many of whom would otherwise have died.

Donations are important to help the most vulnerable but they aren’t the ultimate answer, Garcia-Gonzalez said. Oberreiter agreed: “Donations are super important, but they are not sustainable. The moment the company efforts stop, nothing happens anymore.”

As Big Pharma takes Africa more seriously as a commercial market, companies are starting to negotiate deals with national governments to offer discounted drugs on condition that the health authorities ensure they reach patients.

In June, Roche signed an agreement with Kenya’s Ministry of Health to make Herceptin available again, this time at a price fully covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Roche sweetened the deal by committing to continue its work with the ICI and others to support capacity building in areas such as data management, and pricing and reimbursement.

A few weeks later, US pharma group Johnson & Johnson made a similar arrangement with the ministry to supply a prostate cancer drug.

Other African countries are also benefitting. Roche signed a five-year agreement with the DRC in 2021 to expand access to cancer diagnostics and treatments that included investment in new oncology labs. Novartis has struck deals with countries including Ethiopia to supply the leukemia drug Tasigna (nilotinib) on condition the government ensures patient access via medical-scheme reimbursement. The hope is that governments put “some skin in the game and provide the medicine at a subsidised price or even for free to the patients”, said Racey Muchilwa, who heads Novartis’ sub-Saharan Africa business.

In the driver's seat

So far, most agreements have covered cancer drugs whose patents have expired or are about to, and where competitors are biting into revenue in wealthy countries. There is also little dispute over the benefits of the drugs.

The real test will come with the newest medicines that still have 10-15 years of patent life and which drugs companies guard more jealously in terms of price and market share. These drugs often come with huge price tags but less evidence of the benefits in terms of improved survival rates and quality of life, especially in African populations.

While some experts say that patients in Africa shouldn’t have to wait decades for these drugs, there’s also unease about such agreements.

“I can’t be against commitments to lower prices, but I think it's still more window dressing than really trying to change the system,” said Wilbert Bannenberg, a physician who runs the Netherlands-based Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation. He worries that companies are using deals to corner the market before generic competitors have a chance to establish themselves and to push their own drugs with little regard for a country’s real needs.

These concerns are echoed by Charles Booth, an oncologist at Queen's University in Canada who has been researching health access for nearly two decades. “Too many decisions are being driven by the pharmaceutical industry, when they really need to be driven by patients,” he said.

Given limited budgets and many competing health priorities, Nyangasi from the Kenyan ministry of health told SWI that they’ve already had to push back on some companies offering their innovative drugs. They’ve now prioritised 23 most commonly used cancer drugs. This is what we use, and what we need, said Nyangasi.

Additional reporting by Mercy Murugi. Edited by Nerys Avery.

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

Share this story

Change your password

Do you really want to delete your profile?