The Montenegrin health system has run out of "zomet", a drug used by cancer patients with advanced disease that has affected the bones.
From that institution, "Vijesta" was told that the reason for the shortage of "Zometa" is a stoppage in production caused by technical problems.
"According to the information we received from the manufacturer 'Novartis', it is not known when the problem will be solved, that is, when they will be able to continue production", they replied from "Montefarm".
In the answer of "Montefarma", it is written that this medicine is not even available in private pharmacies.
"Although we don't have mechanisms to find out if this drug is available in private pharmacies, we called some of them and found out that they haven't had Zometa since November last year," Montefarma said.
From that institution, they said that the lack of "Zometa" is a problem for the whole of Europe, not just for Montenegro and the region, and that they believe that solving the problem will be accelerated.
"Vijesti" checked by phone yesterday whether there is medicine for the most seriously ill patients in some private pharmacies in Serbia. In a private pharmacy in Belgrade, we were told that they have "Zometa" and that it costs about 6.500 dinars, or about 55 euros.
The medicine is on the basic list in Montenegro, and its tender price is 34,98 euros. Before the shortage, that drug cost more than 100 euros in private pharmacies last year.
The drug "zometa" is used by adult patients with metastases of cancer in the bones, among others, and by patients with breast cancer. Also, it is intended to reduce the blood concentration in adult patients, where it is too high due to the presence of tumors.
In "Montefarm" they claim that they are making efforts to obtain the necessary medicine from other manufacturers.
They said that they received a statement from the manufacturer "Ebewe" that they would deliver the drug "zoledronate" (1 x 4 milligrams, generic parallel to "Zomete") within ten to fifteen days.
The Ministry of Health did not respond to the questions of "Vijesti" commenting on the fact that the public health system was left without the cytostatic drug "Zomet" and whether and in which private pharmacies patients can get it.
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