# Global Medication Shortages: Impact on Patients and Healthcare System Responses (2021-2024)

## Executive Summary

Medication shortages have emerged as a critical global health concern affecting both developed and developing nations.

This report analyzes multiple cases of medication and medical supply shortages between 2021-2024, documenting affected drugs, underlying causes, and healthcare system responses.

The findings reveal that shortages have been driven by supply chain disruptions, demand spikes, manufacturing delays, and geopolitical factors, with significant impacts on patient care across multiple continents.

## Regional Analysis of Medication Shortages

### 1.

European Union

**Affected Medications:**
- Antibiotics, particularly amoxicillin
- Cold and flu medicines
- Respiratory infection treatments
- Children's medications

**Causes:**
- Surge in respiratory infections following COVID-19 pandemic
- Insufficient production capacity to meet increased demand
- Weakened population immunity due to previous social distancing measures

**Impact on Patients:**
While medications didn't completely disappear from pharmacies, patients experienced limited access to essential treatments during respiratory illness seasons.

Healthcare authorities advised against panic buying to prevent exacerbating the shortage.

**Healthcare System Response:**
- National governments implemented measures to address shortages
- No coordinated EU-level response, with each country managing the crisis individually
- Public messaging to discourage hoarding of medications

### 2.

Egypt

**Affected Medications:**
- Various medications across multiple therapeutic categories (30-40% of medicines)

**Causes:**
- Dollar shortage affecting import of medical supplies and raw materials
- Production lines not operating at full capacity
- Significant increase in production costs
- Pharmaceutical manufacturers facing substantial financial losses

**Impact on Patients:**
Patients faced limited access to a wide r

# Global Medication Shortages: Impact on Patients and Healthcare System Responses (2021-2024)

## Executive Summary

Medication shortages have emerged as a critical global health concern affecting both developed and developing nations.

Title:

Content: There is not enough medicine in the EU
19 January 2023, 05: 20
ASTANA.
KAZINFORM - The European Union is suffering from a shortage of medicines.
Deficiency of antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, drugs against colds, flu and other respiratory infections, as well as some drugs for children, reports MIA "Kazinform" with reference to euronews.com.
In most countries, the situation is considered critical, but since such goods from pharmacies do not disappear at all, citizens are not advised to make stocks.
Doctors note a weakening in the population of natural immunity due to protection against coronavirus such as social distancing.
The main reasons for the sharp increase in demand, which have been identified, is the high prevalence of respiratory diseases with a lack of production capacity.
As pharmaceutical issues are being addressed at the national level, Governments are already taking steps to overcome the shortage
These measures include the sale of generics and the replacement of requested medicines with similar ones.
In some countries, some formulations have been changed, for example, drugs are offered in the form of syrups instead of tablets, so that children are more willing to take them.
"Pediatric drugs are generally now less available in the form of conventional tablets," said Steffen Tierstrup, chief medical officer of the European Medicines Agency. "Therefore, where children are more ill, the need for pediatric drugs is higher than for adult drugs."
A recent study showed that the shortage of drugs in Spain increased by 38% over the year.
The decline in their production was affected by inflation, high energy prices, shortages of raw materials and the effects of the pandemic.
“We need diversification, ” said Ilaria Passarani, head of the EU Pharmaceutical Group.“ Of course, it would be useful to return to Europe the production of some critical materials, such as active ingredients.
But we can't return all the production of all the materials we use for drugs.
This entails problems such as the increase in pharmacy prices associated with the implementation of environmental laws, labor laws, which are not necessarily enforced in other regions. ”
In March, the European Commission will present a revised version of the EU pharmaceutical legislation, which will include stricter supply obligations, earlier notification of shortages and seizures of medicines, and better informing the public about available stocks.
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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: Politics

Doctors brace for a nationwide shortage of abortion pills

The manufacturer of Mifegymiso is blaming supply chain issues for a pending shortage of the product — just months after another shortage of the drug forced some patients to get surgical abortions instead.

Mifegymiso manufacturer says supply chain to blame for second shortage in 3 months

A nationwide shortage of the abortion pill is expected next week — just months after another shortage of the drug forced some patients to get surgical abortions instead.

"When our hands are tied, it's really frustrating to not be able to give the standard of care," said Dr. Emily Stuart, an abortion provider on Vancouver Island.

The abortion pill, known as Mifegymiso, first became available in Canada in 2017 as an alternative to surgical abortions.

It greatly opened up abortion access since the drug can be prescribed by a family doctor and provided by a pharmacy up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Mifegymiso is not the same as the so-called Plan B or "morning after" pill, which is an emergency contraception medication taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

'Abortion is time-sensitive ... if you have to wait two weeks, you could be outside of the window."- Dr. Emily Stuart, abortion provider on Vancouver Island

Linepharma, the sole supplier of the abortion pill in Canada, blames delivery delays, manufacturing constraints and shortages of the active ingredients used to make the drug.

It said it expects the shortage to begin Feb. 20 and last for two weeks, until March 6.

"Abortion is time-sensitive," Stuart said. "If you have to wait two weeks, you could be outside of the window."

Surgical abortion can be provided further along in a pregnancy but it requires an in-person visit to a hospital or abortion clinic. People seeking surgical abortions may have to travel from smaller communities where the service is not provided.

Some patients also prefer the abortion pill because it can be taken at home and is less invasive than the surgery.

Abortion providers across Canada tell CBC News they're stockpiling their own supplies of Mifegymiso and are planning to share them with others.

"Some pharmacies have a limited stock of Mifegymiso available but not a very high stock," said Patricia LaRue, who heads up Clinique des femmes de l'Outaouais, an abortion provider in Gatineau, Que.

"So we're scared that some people might not have access to the products."

Health Canada told CBC News it has been in contact with the drug's maker and has been told "the shortage is not expected to impact the availability of Mifegymiso at the patient level." The department said it's talking to the company to ensure a continued supply of Mifegymiso moving forward.

Second shortage since December

This is the second shortage of Mifegymiso to hit Canada in the last three months.

Linepharma previously reported a shortage that lasted four weeks, from November 23 to December 20. The company blamed shipping delays. Abortion providers said they were given little notice.

Stuart said that during the last shortage, she had to ask some patients who wanted the abortion pill if they would accept surgery.

Waiting lists for surgical abortions got longer during the Mifegymiso shortage, said Dr. Renee Hall, who provides abortions in Vancouver.

She said some clinics were able to provide an alternative form of drug-induced abortion, although it's not ideal.

"The issue is that it is less effective, it has more side effects, and takes a lot longer," Hall said.

In some cases, Hall said, the alternative drug regimen didn't work and the patient ended up requiring a surgical abortion.

"Those kind of situations, that's when it bothers me a lot that we do have to deal with the shortage," Hall said.

In Regina, a group of volunteers transported abortion pills to patients in rural and remote areas after pharmacies in smaller communities ran out.

"It just drastically reduced the ability to access abortion," said Julian Wotherspoon of the Regina Abortion Support Network.

"In Saskatchewan, we really have so many barriers before we even get to that prescription that the shortage was just one more thing."

Most pharmacies keep limited stocks

The supply issues have demonstrated how important the abortion pill is across the country, said Kelly Bowden of the group Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights. The national charity advocates for better abortion access and provides a support line for people looking for information and abortion providers.

While there are hundreds of surgical abortion providers in Canada, there are now thousands who can provide abortion using the pill, Bowden said.

But even with more doctors able to prescribe it, not all pharmacies carry the abortion pill because it's a fairly expensive medication with a relatively early expiry date. Some also refuse to carry it.

"If you had more dispensing locations you would have essentially a larger stockpile … that would take a longer amount of time to dwindle down supplies in the case of a shortage," Bowden said.

Company hoping to avoid anticipated shortage

The U.K. drug company Linepharma, the only producer authorized to provide the abortion pill in Canada, manufactures Mifegymiso through a third-party facility in Spain, said Dana Tenenbaum, the general manager of Linepharma Canada. The company supplies between 50,000 and 80,000 doses per year to Canada, he said.

"It's still a very niche product," he said.

Tenenbaum said the shortage is partially due to a slowdown in supplies of the active pharmaceutical ingredient mifepristone, which the company sources from Europe.

"Very few places, very few companies, manufacture those types of drugs," he said.

Tenenbaum said the company notified Health Canada of the anticipated shortage based on current inventory and demand. He said the company doesn't expect the shortage to last more than two weeks.

"We have been able to work with pharmacies and clinics to — it's a lot of work — but to really tightly monitor every unit that's going out," he said.

Abortion providers said Linepharma gave them a warning this time, so they're working to ensure they have enough medication on hand.

"These short little stints, I think the clinics are well suited to handle. It's not ideal, but we can manage it," Dr. Hall said.

"If it gets longer, the surgical abortion wait times will get longer and the quality of the abortions go down."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marina von Stackelberg is a senior reporter currently working for CBC's Parliamentary Bureau in Ottawa. She previously worked as a reporter and host in Winnipeg, with earlier stints in Halifax and Sudbury. Her stories regularly appear across the country on CBC Radio and CBC News Network. Connect with her by email at mvs@cbc.ca or on social media @CBCMarina.

now

Title:

Content: LATEST NEWS
"We aim to bring medicine closer to the patient of Deep Algeria"
+ -
In an interview with Al-Khobar on the sidelines of the National Symposium of Algerian Pharmacists, the Director General of the Central Pharmacy, Mr. Ferhat Samir, stressed that there are efforts to provide medicine to patients in Algeria, including bringing medicine closer to patients in deep Algeria, and informing the cancer patient of medicines that were scarce in past times, explaining these and others in his next dialogue.
The central pharmacy is pointing fingers at hospitals about the scarcity of medicines, can you tell us about the responsibility of the institution towards this problem?
...
After I assumed the position of Director General of the Central Pharmacy of Hospitals, and after the preliminary analysis we carried out and the disclosure of the figures, it was obvious to announce some imbalances that were recorded at the level of the central pharmacy stores of hospitals, and in this area we had the first statements in which we announced the shortcomings that we recorded with regard to the depletion of a number of drugs, including cancer drugs. My first statement was about the lack of availability of 27 of the 121 drugs registered in the Central Pharmacy of hospitals blog, which has already negatively affected the effectiveness of the treatment provided by cancer treatment centers.
But the efforts exerted by all the workers of the central pharmacy of the hospitals, especially those related to the re-sending of requests for proposals, which had previously been declared useless, which we re-sent and enabled us to register and sign the appropriate contracts, for the acquisition of medicines and medical supplies with which we supported our warehouses and hospital pharmacy stores.
In this regard, he explained that as of September 2022, there was a continuous support for the stock of about 558 products for all therapeutic categories, including 105 products for the treatment of cancer patients, which enabled us to register a kind of stability, especially with regard to the drugs of cancer patients, which are affected by scarcity in particular. I would just like to clarify that the delay in receiving medicines has nothing to do with financial problems, especially since the debts of the central pharmacy of a number of hospitals, part of which has been paid by the public authorities, where the budget of the central pharmacy of hospitals has been strengthened by 75 billion dinars, represented by the debts paid under the Finance Law 2022, with a similar amount of 75 billion dinars, within the Finance Law 2023 will be paid in due time.
During your intervention at the opening of the National Symposium of Algerian Pharmacists, you promised that the month of Ramadan will be a good opening for our patients, as the scarcity of medicines will be eliminated before it arrives.
...
Indeed, she announced that the elimination of the scarcity of drugs for cancer drugs will be before the month of Ramadan, and confirmed that we will reach zero scarcity, God willing.
In order to clarify this point, it was pointed out that the measures taken in this area have made it possible to sign 98 contracts with the suppliers of the central pharmacy of hospitals. In order to eliminate scarcity, and in accordance with the laws and regulations available, we have initiated a procedure that allows us to enter into capital and buy shares with the supplier. Thus, everything that hinders the supply of medicine should be overcome.
Can you tell us about the future projects of the Central Hospital Pharmacy in bringing medicine closer to the patient across the country?
...
You should know that the central pharmacy of the hospitals has started to register some projects for the construction of accessories throughout the country, where an annex has been placed at the level of the province of Setif, which we will receive in the next few days, in addition to the supplements of Adrar, Warfala and Aghouat, which will start construction soon, not to mention the supplements already available, which are located throughout Annaba, Oran and Algiers. The expansion of the central pharmacy annexes to the hospitals is part of bringing the drug closer to the patient, as it will enable us to distribute the most appropriate drugs and deliver them to patients in Algeria.
Finally, Sir, you announced the availability of innovative medicines to the patient of Algeria in the near future, what about this procedure?
...
We have registered innovative medicines at the level of the National Agency for Pharmaceutical Materials, and we have placed them in the Central Hospital Pharmacy Acquisitions Code. These are about 30 innovative medicines for the treatment of various diseases, especially incurable ones, including cancer and other diseases such as blood diseases, selected in the framework of the various requests for proposals, with a special table for these products. The first year of the acquisition of these medicines will be a year of evaluation for us, and if there is no good return on the health of the patient, we will stop the acquisition of these medicines, especially since the contracts we signed are annual contracts that can be renewed or suspended.

Title:

Content: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
Mohamad Elbaz
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
Mohamad Elbaz
The Minister of Health has promised to solve the problem of lack of medicine.
He added that the private sector will be involved in the management of hospitals.
In response to a question from MP Mustafa Salem, Undersecretary of the Planning and Budget Committee, in the meetings of the Committee today to discuss the budget of the Ministry of Health and its affiliates, Minister of Health, Dr. Khalid Abdul Ghaffar, stressed that the resources available to the Ministry of Health are insufficient to provide appropriate services according to the standards set.
He added that the private sector will be involved in the management and operation of some hospitals from the beginning, or existing hospitals, which have problems and mismanagement.
He explained that the prices will not increase at all, and the citizen will not be harmed because he will receive the best service at the same prices without any increase, pointing out that the patient instead of going to the hospital and does not find the appropriate service or does not find the required doctor will go to hospitals at any time and find the appropriate medical service night and day.
Lack of medication
Regarding the shortage of medicine, Abdel Ghaffar stressed that the previous period was a problem due to the dollar crisis, which is almost non-existent now, but the production lines in the factories are still not ready to work with the same efficiency and sufficient production capacity required.
He pointed out that most drugs away from oncology drugs and some other diseases are produced 95% of them locally.
He added that the cost of producing the treatment has increased significantly, and the producers are exposed to large losses, and a meeting has been held between the ministry and the competent chambers, the Unified Procurement Authority, the Drug Authority and all concerned parties to develop appropriate solutions to this problem and maintain the pharmaceutical industry.
On the position of the hospitals being implemented, especially in Sohag, Dr. Anwar Ismail, Assistant Minister, said that 20 hospitals will be handed over and operated this year in the Republic, including in the governorate of Sohag, Sagalta General Hospital and Gerga General Hospital. He added that 10 new hospitals will be established this year, including one in Sohag.

Title:

Content: Local healthcare facilities see rise in wait times as 'tripledemic' continues to rage

Healthcare experts are anticipating an increase in cases of COVID and seasonal illnesses associated with the so-called ‘tripledemic’ as the holiday season brings family and friends together.

Dr. Heather Osher, Medical Director of Patient First, says her facility is seeing increased wait times as more fall ill. To avoid overcrowding, Osher says it's important to keep tabs on their website.

"I tell people, as far as Patient First, you can always go on the website and see if the center is busy right now," Osher said.

People who fall ill should try to avoid large crowds to prevent spreading their sickness. As such, Dr. Osher suggests taking advantage of telehealth to talk to a healthcare provider about treatments.

"They’ll go on here real time with the camera and the computer, talk to them and diagnose, and we can do it all the computer electronically," Osher said.

While the passing of illness remains prevalent this winter, pharmacies are facing a shortage of over-the-counter and prescription medications to help alleviate patient's symptoms.

"It’s been a nightmare for the last few months getting in all children’s products," said Kourtney Chichilitti, a Pharmacist at Parkway Pharmacy.

On Tuesday night Parkway Pharmacy had only about 100 bottles of Children’s Motrin for families in need.

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He is expecting a breakthrough in the drug crisis.
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2021.
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The Minister of Public Health in the caretaker government, Dr. Hamad Hassan, held a meeting with the heads of directorates and departments in the Ministry of Public Health, in which he discussed the path that is being followed to devise solutions in the health field, especially with regard to the crisis of medicine and the hospital sector.
In his intervention, Hassan was keen to thank the staff of the Ministry individually because they are still committed to supporting the citizen despite all the difficult circumstances prevailing.
With regard to medicine, he announced a recent agreement reached after several meetings including the Pharmaceutical Importers Syndicate and the Central Bank, in which the bank confirmed the continuation of the monthly support of the drug in the amount of fifty million dollars, and began to see the effects of this in the hope of continuing to regulate imports as quickly as possible, as pledged by the importing companies of medicines under some detail that is coordinated with the bank.
In this regard, Minister Hassan announced that "the Central Bank approved three weeks ago bills for pharmaceutical companies worth eighty-seven million dollars (87 million dollars), and a week ago on eleven million dollars (11 million dollars), adding that today the Central Bank approves the import of medicines worth thirty million dollars (30 million dollars), which must achieve a breakthrough in the drug crisis in a period ranging from five days to a week, especially with regard to medicines for cancer and incurable diseases." Infant Vaccines and Baby Milk ".
The Minister of Public Health confirmed that he is in the process of forming the technical academic committee to study the files submitted for emergency import under conditions that ensure quality and competitive prices, hoping that permits will be given to this import at the beginning of next week.
He called for "not to rely on the negatives marketed in some media and social media," stressing that the Ministry of Public Health "is reliable and works within the laws in force, and all it aspires to at this stage is to succeed in keeping up with the citizen in this crisis and alleviate its burdens."
He added: “Today, the pricing index was introduced by adhering to sixty-five percent of the market exchange rate. ”
Minister Hassan explained that the pricing on 12 thousand Lebanese pounds took into account that the companies bear 15 percent on the basis of the 85 / 15 agreement and 20 percent marketing, distribution and conferences is not the time now, so 35 percent of the market price is deducted; if this price is 18 thousand Lebanese pounds becomes 12 thousand pounds after the aforementioned discount, and if the exchange rate 21 thousand pounds becomes 13 thousand and five hundred pounds after the discount.
He pointed out that the final decision regarding the pricing of OTC and Acute drugs has been issued and all warehouse owners, importers and stockholders should know this, and the importers union is aware of this, and 90 percent of importers have agreed to import within the pricing of 65 percent of the dollar exchange rate in the market.
Hospitals
Hassan addressed the issue of hospitals, stressing that "in coordination with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Ms. Zeina Akar, the adoption of a new tariff soon for medical laboratory and radiological works," adding: "The insurance of fuel for hospitals was discussed yesterday in the government serail, where the Minister of Energy unanimously adopted the provision of fuel for hospitals and not to abandon them."
"The hand is extended to anyone willing to help."
Pandemic.
On the epidemiological issue, Minister Hassan pointed to a "significant increase in cases," wishing citizens "to register on the vaccine platform, noting that this registration achieved a record yesterday with the number of twenty-two thousand people," thanking all those who help the Ministry of Public Health, whether the World Bank or friendly countries that provide donations of vaccines such as Kuwait and Qatar.
Minister Hassan renewed the call for "the adoption of muzzle and distance and the conduct of activities in the open air, especially with the presence of a large amount of expatriation in Lebanon," regretting the difficulty of tracking expatriation and contacts, as it turns out that "the phone numbers given to teams monitoring the ministry are inaccurate, which poses a danger to society."
He mentioned the two hot numbers for receiving complaints, communications and reviews: 1214 and 1787.
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Content: 2 major drugs are in short supply, FDA says. Both are widely prescribed to children.

NEW!

Drug shortages continue in the U.S., even as the COVID-19 pandemic nears the end of its third year.

Two drugs commonly prescribed to children — Adderall and liquid amoxicillin — recently joined the list, the Food and Drug Administration says.

The FDA announced last month that it was talking to manufacturers about a shortage of Adderall, the combination drug of amphetamine mixed salts used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Parents are also discovering liquid amoxicillin — an important antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections — is in short supply, according to the FDA. It added the oral solution of the antibiotic to its list of drug shortages on Oct. 28.

Both drugs are widely used by children as well as adults. The amoxicillin shortage comes at a vulnerable time, as we enter cold and flu season and U.S. hospitals continue to fill with respiratory infections. Amoxicillin is often used to treat ear infections and bronchitis.

The reason for the shortages? The FDA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. However, the agency cited a few factors on its website, including quality and manufacturing issues.

“There have been other reasons such as production delays at the manufacturer and delays companies have experienced receiving raw materials and components from suppliers,” the agency says. “Discontinuations are another factor contributing to shortages.

“FDA can’t require a firm to keep making a drug it wants to discontinue. Sometimes these older drugs are discontinued by companies in favor of newer, more profitable drugs.”

For a list of all drugs currently in short supply, visit FDA.gov.

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Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com.

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Content: Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
19° Partly Cloudy
News >  Nation/World

Parents looking for children’s Tylenol, ibuprofen find empty shelves

Dec. 1, 2022 Updated Thu., Dec. 1, 2022 at 9:17 p.m.

By Jenna Portnoy, Daniel Gilbert, Ellie Silverman and Katie Shepherd Washington Post

People seeking over-the-counter medication for their sick children are often finding sparse or empty shelves, as a spike in respiratory illnesses pushes pediatricians and emergency rooms to the limit.

Usual supplies of fever- and pain-reducing medicines, such as liquid acetaminophen and ibuprofen recommended for children with RSV, flu or the coronavirus, have not kept up with demand in recent weeks in pockets of the country hit hardest by surging illnesses.

Unlike in Canada where the government has issued emergency orders to address a shortage of acetaminophen and ibuprofen, commonly known by the name brands Tylenol and Advil, and similar products, U.S. manufacturers and retailers emphasized that supplies should rebound within weeks. On the prescription side, increased demand for the antibiotic amoxicillin has caused shortages in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe.

In the meantime, pediatricians say they worry limited access to medicines could result in more urgent-care and emergency visits as parents struggle to keep sick children comfortable.

“It’s a huge problem,” said Kristina Powell, a pediatrician in Williamsburg, Virgina, and president of the Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “This is a result of the ‘triple-demic.’ Parents run to Walmart or Target, the shelves are empty. … This is going to be a long fall and winter of viral infections.”

A crop of influenza-like illnesses, which includes RSV, hit the South and Southeast hard a month ago, federal data show, and those illnesses have slowly progressed westward. By mid-November, Texas, New Mexico and Tennessee reported the highest incidence of illness, while levels remained very high in Virginia and D.C., followed closely by Maryland, according to data tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kylie Moriarty, 30, of Buffalo, Misssouri, searched her local Walmart for Tylenol or ibuprofen to treat her sick 9-year-old daughter and found nothing but empty shelves. That seemed odd, she said, because just last week she had no trouble buying the same products for her 2-year-old son in a merry-go-round of illnesses affecting families with young children.

“I was very frustrated that it’s 2022 and we can’t keep something in stock for parents to help their children get better,” she said in a phone interview. “It makes me want to cry, almost, because these are my kids.”

She and her husband called other pharmacies looking for medicines to soothe the girl and couldn’t find any guaranteed availability.

“When they’re sick, there’s only so much that loving on them and cuddling with them you can do. So when there’s no medicine or something that you can give them … it’s hard,” Moriarty said.

Feeling powerless, the couple gave up and cautiously shared their younger child’s more concentrated medicine with the older one, which seemed to help. Just as they began to relax, their little boy came home from day care with a fever. Moriarty plans to schedule an appointment with his pediatrician for treatment – and samples to take home.

The ordeal reminded her of the height of the pandemic when supply chain problems left consumers scrambling for toilet paper and other basics.

Generic varieties play a large role in the market for over-the-counter comfort drugs, and that industry runs on profit margins so lean that companies typically lack capacity to boost production on short notice, according to supply chain experts. That left shelves bare during the early days of the pandemic.

The same dynamic is playing out now as RSV, flu and the coronavirus hit simultaneously, prompting sporadic shortages of commonly used ibuprofen and Tylenol at some hospitals and retail stores.

The extent of those shortages isn’t clear. The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t reported any shortages of fever or pain medications. Drugmakers, pharmacists and industry organizations say there aren’t any constraints to manufacturing and expect supplies to rebound within weeks.

The University of Utah’s Drug Information Service, which tracks drug shortages, received its first report of a shortage of liquid ibuprofen – generally for children – on Monday, and quickly confirmed it with several manufacturers. Most of the drugs tracked by the service are purchased in large quantities by hospitals, but some formulations had over-the-counter labels. Erin Fox, the service’s director, said it was impossible to know how widespread retail shortages were given the variety of store-branded versions.

“There are definitely distribution and supply chain problems that still exist,” she said, such as a company not being able to hire enough drivers. “These shortages seem to be mostly a demand spike and should resolve relatively quickly,” she added.

Until then, both chain stores and independent pharmacies are dealing with the unpredictability of high demand and uncertain supplies.

Martin McCarthy struck out at 5 p.m. Wednesday when he stopped by Brookville Pharmacy in Chevy Chase, Maryland, looking for liquid Motrin for his 10-year-old son, who probably picked up a bug at school.

The pharmacy’s stock of children’s fever reducers was depleted after two busy weeks of parents and grandparents stopping in to buy Tylenol or Motrin for little ones suffering from colds, RSV, flu and other viruses.

By Wednesday evening, only three boxes of generic ibuprofen chewables, two boxes of generic acetaminophen chewables and six boxes of suppository acetaminophen remained. Other parents peeked down the aisle looking for liquid fever reducer and fever reducer for children younger than 3, only to leave empty-handed.

McCarthy scanned the cold-medicine aisle for a few minutes and called home to confirm that his son would tolerate grape-flavored chewable tablets instead of the liquid Motrin he was used to.

“It is surprising because it’s basically completely out,” he said. “And it’s just generic.”

A spokeswoman for Walgreens said McCarthy’s experience is typical. Even if their usual choice of medication is unavailable because of high demand, parents can usually find an alternative.

“Although demand for pediatric OTC medications have increased, Walgreens is prepared and able to continue meeting the needs of our customers and patients. We are working with our diverse set of suppliers and distributors to ensure our patients have the products they need most,” Walgreen spokeswoman Zoe Krey said in a statement.

Martha Welman, a pediatrician and medical director at Neighborhood Health, a primary care provider serving low-income and underinsured patients in Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax, said staff will sometimes call pharmacies to find medicines for patients – a time-consuming process at a busy time.

“If it’s between helping someone find a medicine or seeing a sick child, we have to make that choice. We’re all kind of compromising right now,” she said.

Perrigo, an Ireland-based manufacturer of over-the-counter products, said “shortages are occurring in a number of markets we supply” because of high demand. The company has increased production of medications for fever and pain by 46% through October compared with a year ago, and increased shipments by a similar rate.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents companies making over-the-counter drugs, said parts of the country are seeing a rise in pediatric illnesses but that there aren’t “overall widespread shortages here in the United States” of children’s pain relievers.

“We understand it might be frustrating for some parents who are unable to quickly locate these products from their usual pharmacy or retailer due to limited out-of-stocks in some stores,” the association said in a statement, but it emphasized the importance of calling around for medications and not hoarding, which could lead to widespread shortages.

Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, New York, said from the bed shortage to overflowing emergency rooms, the last thing parents need is another hurdle. But until the early and aggressive onset of respiratory illness abates, health care providers and parents have no choice but to ride it out together.

“Everyone would like to have one thing to blame and there isn’t one thing to blame,” she said. “This is happening for a variety of reasons and we’re going to move through it and we’re going to be OK.”

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Title:

Content: Low on supply – treating schizophrenia

Injecting medicine Credit: RF._.Studio, Pexels

In 2021, 50,400 people in the Netherlands were registered with schizophrenia. Today, all of the schizophrenia patients in the country are suffering from a low supply of the much-needed medication, Zypadhera.

Psychiatrists in the country are now advised against starting new treatments with Zypadhera. This drug produces Olanzapine, a substance which inhibits delusions and hallucinations for people who suffer from psychosis and is usually used from a period of six months to several years, given by injections.

The substance is still available for existing users but in smaller doses, as the medication agency cites “problems with production and distribution at the manufacturer.”

Due to the medication shortage, schizophrenia patients will now have to receive a dose of 300 milligrams once every three weeks, instead of a 405 milligrams every four weeks, as stated in the temporary treatment advice from the National Medicines Coordination Centre.

The centre had previously spoken of a “structural availability problem” of the drug.

With these shortages in consideration, new patients will have to omit using Zypadhera altogether, despite its effectiveness and opt for alternative medical treatment.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Title:

Content: mkset
213 followers
The Minister of health said that the data on the shortage of drugs in Bashkiria is a fake
Perhaps in the first place it is worth quoting the statement of the Minister of Health of Bashkiria Maxim Zabelin said that information on the shortage of medicines in Bashkiria is a fake.
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This report analyzes multiple cases of medication and medical supply shortages between 2021-2024, documenting affected drugs, underlying causes, and healthcare system responses.

Title:

Content: Nationwide Adderall shortage impacting area pharmacies in the Panhandle

Published: Oct. 19, 2022 at 5:07 PM CDT|Updated: 19 minutes ago

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The Food and Drug Administration has declared a nationwide Adderall shortage and the Panhandle is feeling the affects.

The FDA blames the shortage on manufacturing delays.

Health experts say a shortage in stimulant medications is actually not a rare occurrence.

“The amount of medication that is produced is limited and regulated by the government, so there have been other years where towards the end of the year in particular, we start to struggle with supply issues. In this case, however, while that does seem to be probably one of the contributing factors, the other issue we’re facing, at least what we’re hearing about it right now, is that the manufacturing delays have been an issue and some of that has been secondary to the labor shortages,” said Dr. Carolyn Lentsch-Parcells, pediatrician and assistant professor at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.

Martin Tipton Pharmacy is being impacted by this shortage.

“We’re having to order from various manufacturers right now, not our normal manufactures just because we cannot get them from our normal ones,” said Mark Vogler, Martin Tipton Pharmacy.

Fortunately its patients have been able to get their needed medication, just a different brand.

Amarillo Pharmacy is also being impacted, saying the drug has been back ordered for the past two months.

The Amarillo Pharmaceutical Care Center at Texas Tech Physicians is also seeing a back order on one of the strengths of the drug.

“The drug company manufacturers short-acting and extended-release, for example. So, a pharmacist, in this situation, will work collaboratively with the patient’s provider to find an available strength and dosage to meet the patient’s needs until the original strength becomes available again,” said Amarillo Pharmaceutical Care Center at Texas Tech Physicians.

Dr. Lentsch-Parcells acknowledged this may be an uneasy time for those depending on Adderall, especially with the end of the semester and holidays approaching. She encourages you to reach out to your providers.

“There are various strategies that we will sometimes use to help our patients get the best care possible, while we are trying to ride out the shortage, so that might be changing dosage or using dosage forms that are available to replace their typical medication,” said Dr. Lentsch-Parcells

She emphasizes not to make any changes to your medications without speaking to your providers first.

Pharmacy chains, like CVS and Walgreens, both confirm they are seeing intermittent supply issues with the generic form of the drug.

Title:

Content: Skip to main content

FDA Announces Shortage of Crucial Drug

Teva and the FDA seem to have differing views on what is causing the shortage.
  • Author:
  • Publish date:

On and off "manufacturing delays" at Teva Pharmaceutical  (TEVA)  are the reason for the Adderall shortage that has been going on in America in recent weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said this week.

Meanwhile, the company told ABC News that while they are experiencing "intermittent backorders" they are also manufacturing/distributing at the same rate or greater than they were at the same time last year.

According to the company, the supply is the same as it was a year ago but "demand is not."

Amphetamine mixed salts, including Adderall, are FDA-approved for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

The FDA says that while there is a shortage, there are alternative therapies, including the extended-release version of amphetamine mixed salts that are available to health care professionals.

To combat the shortage, the FDA says it is monitoring supply and will assist manufacture

Manufacturing delays have forced the FDA to announce a shortage of Adderall or Adderall IR for:

  • 100 count 12.5mg
  • 100 count 15mg
  • 100 count 10mg
  • 100 count 20mg
  • 100 count 30mg

Those prescriptions are on backorder and recovery isn't expected until March 2023.

Adderall Tablets 10mg 100 counts are on backorder with inventory expected to recover this month. 5mg 100 counts will be available again in November.

Rising Demand

There has been an Adderall shortage since at least the summer, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and since the shortage has been hitting generic drug makers like Sandoz, Amneal Pharmaceuticals , and Rhodes Pharmaceuticals (which is a subsidiary of Purdue Pharma), the issue can't just be with Teva.

Between the three of them, the companies sell just over half of all the generic extended-release Adderall in the U.S., Bloomberg reported citing data from Symphony Health.

Israel-based Teva sells more Adderall in the U.S. than any other company.

The National Community Pharmacists Association conducted a survey between July 25 and August 5, with 64% of the 358 respondents saying Adderall was on backorder.

The rise in prescriptions in the U.S. has been attributed to more diagnoses and greater availability of the drug.

Earlier in the year, a Teva spokesperson told Bloomberg that the Adderall delay was a result of a labor shortage.

Teva's Manufacturing Issues

A year ago around this time, Teva announced that it was stopping production at its Irvine, Calif. facility after recalling more than 2.5 million vials of drugs that it said may not be sterile.

The company said the drug vials may have contained mold contamination stemming from water leaks. U.S. inspectors discovered the issue at the company's production plant in Irvine.

The company has temporarily stopped drug production at the facility and says that it is reviewing the concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration, according to the company's response to Bloomberg.

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Content: mkset
213 followers
The Minister of health said that the data on the shortage of drugs in Bashkiria is a fake
Perhaps in the first place it is worth quoting the statement of the Minister of Health of Bashkiria Maxim Zabelin said that information on the shortage of medicines in Bashkiria is a fake.
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The findings reveal that shortages have been driven by supply chain disruptions, demand spikes, manufacturing delays, and geopolitical factors, with significant impacts on patient care across multiple continents.

## Regional Analysis of Medication Shortages

### 1.

Title:

Content: There are problems, but there will be no shortage: pharmacies explained why there are not always the necessary drugs on sale
The ongoing war, unjustified growth in demand and problems with production lead to a short-term absence of certain drugs in pharmacies.
Martial law imposes additional difficulties on the import of medicines, but Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies have practically solved this problem: they produce 61% of medicines from the National List of Medicines.
About this Delo.ua told pharmacists and manufacturers.
In the pharmacy holding ANC explain that they fix several main reasons why some positions may disappear in the network:
1.
Due to the martial law in the country, the supply of goods from abroad is irregular, because not every carrier is ready to transport the goods to a country where hostilities continue;
2.
In such cases, insurance companies do not cover the transportation of goods due to high risks;
3.
Completion of the registration period of the goods;
4.
The company producing the goods decided to leave the Ukrainian market.
While data on foreign trade are available only in the context of 4 digits of the code UKTVED, more detailed statistics are not published in the conditions of martial law.
But these data also indicate a reduction in the supply of drugs from abroad, which was confirmed in Goslikluzhba.
Pharmacists note that they do not affect suppliers or the supply of goods.
If the drug is absent from the main distributors, the pharmacist can only recommend analogues to the client in the positions that he can offer.
“At the same time, unfortunately, there is no alternative for unique imported drugs.
Probably, if the state provided manufacturers and suppliers with additional guarantees, this could change the situation, ” adds Maria Semenova.
At the same time, as noted in the pharmaceutical company "Darnitsa", with temporary problems with the presence of a foreign medicine, Ukrainian manufacturers can offer generics of similar quality.
Pharmacists agree that manufacturers are successfully closing the gap in the market, but note that they do not produce innovative new drugs of the latest generations and original drugs, as well as drugs necessary for the treatment of rare diseases.
At the same time, the reduction of imports of medicines to Ukraine has a positive effect - it contributes to the growth of the production of domestic medicines.
Because, as noted in "Darnitsa", an increase in the production of domestic drugs leads to GDP growth, the number of jobs and tax revenues to the country's budget.

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Content: Advertisement

London man without medication after Shoppers Drug Mart systems issue

A technical issue for Shoppers Drug Mart has left one London man without medication for days.

Roy Steinbach says he went into his local Shoppers last Saturday to get his various prescriptions filled. He says he was turned away due to a systems issue.

Loblaws, the parent company of Shoppers Drug Mart, confirmed Thursday that the pharmacy has been experiencing issues with drug prescriptions for several days.

A spokesperson for Loblaws says intermitted issues have impacted some locations’ ability to fulfill prescriptions.

The company says most stores are back online and working through the resulting backlog. It added there was no systems or data breach.

Read more: Food inflation — Shoppers turn to saving hacks long used by older Canadians

Read next: Ford government to allow out-of-province nurses to start work immediately in Ontario

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While Loblaws says the issue has been mostly resolved, Steinbach’s problems have only continued.

Steinbach says after not being able to fill his prescription over the weekend, Shoppers Drug Mart is now trying to charge him hundreds of dollars even though his medication is covered through the Ontario Disability Support Program.

Steinbach says after attempting to fill his multiple prescriptions last Saturday, he received a call earlier this week saying they were ready.

However, he was told on the phone he would be billed for some of the medicine.

After first paying and receiving an immediate refund, Steinbach says Shoppers called him Thursday requesting an up-front payment totalling $280 for some of the medication.

Read more: ‘Nothing is available’ — Pharmacies experiencing shortage of adult cold and flu medication

Read next: Halifax doctors worry announced ER improvements won’t work due to lack of beds

As a pensioner on the ODSP, Steinbach says he cannot afford the prescriptions.

“I have medications that I absolutely need daily and so I’ve been out for a few days and I’m afraid of getting sick,” Steinbach said.

Steinbach says in his most recent communication with the pharmacy Thursday, Shoppers told him it now had no record of him being on ODSP or being charged and then refunded just days ago.

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“I don’t understand with such a large company why they haven’t fixed it yet,” said Steinbach, who added he has not received any estimate of when his issue could be resolved.

No alternatives were proposed to Steinbach by the pharmacy in how to remedy the situation, he says.

Shoppers did not provide an answer on when all issues can expect to be resolved.

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Title:

Content: mkset
213 followers
The Minister of health said that the data on the shortage of drugs in Bashkiria is a fake
Perhaps in the first place it is worth quoting the statement of the Minister of Health of Bashkiria Maxim Zabelin said that information on the shortage of medicines in Bashkiria is a fake.
Back to article
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European Union

**Affected Medications:**
- Antibiotics, particularly amoxicillin
- Cold and flu medicines
- Respiratory infection treatments
- Children's medications

**Causes:**
- Surge in respiratory infections following COVID-19 pandemic
- Insufficient production capacity to meet increased demand
- Weakened population immunity due to previous social distancing measures

**Impact on Patients:**
While medications didn't completely disappear from pharmacies, patients experienced limited access to essential treatments during respiratory illness seasons.

Healthcare authorities advised against panic buying to prevent exacerbating the shortage.

Title:

Content: mkset
213 followers
The Minister of health said that the data on the shortage of drugs in Bashkiria is a fake
Perhaps in the first place it is worth quoting the statement of the Minister of Health of Bashkiria Maxim Zabelin said that information on the shortage of medicines in Bashkiria is a fake.
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**Healthcare System Response:**
- National governments implemented measures to address shortages
- No coordinated EU-level response, with each country managing the crisis individually
- Public messaging to discourage hoarding of medications

### 2.

Title:

Content: mkset
213 followers
The Minister of health said that the data on the shortage of drugs in Bashkiria is a fake
Perhaps in the first place it is worth quoting the statement of the Minister of Health of Bashkiria Maxim Zabelin said that information on the shortage of medicines in Bashkiria is a fake.
Back to article
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Egypt

**Affected Medications:**
- Various medications across multiple therapeutic categories (30-40% of medicines)

**Causes:**
- Dollar shortage affecting import of medical supplies and raw materials
- Production lines not operating at full capacity
- Significant increase in production costs
- Pharmaceutical manufacturers facing substantial financial losses

**Impact on Patients:**
Patients faced limited access to a wide r