Due to a shortage of the immuno-biological drug pembrolizumab, which is used against certain types of cancer, some patients were left without treatment this month.
The pharmacy institution "Montefarm", which supplies healthcare institutions with medicines, said yesterday that the reason for the shortage of immunobiological medicines is a complicated tender procedure and occasional difficulties in procurement, but they claim that the procurement procedure was completed last week.
"After implementing a complicated tender procedure for the procurement of drugs for the treatment of patients diagnosed with a rare and serious disease, signing contracts with suppliers in accordance with the Law on Public Procurement, MONTEFARM today began taking over the contracted quantities and the necessary therapies have already been distributed to certain public health institutions" , it was announced.
Dr. Sanja Rakanović Vasilkov, who is an oncology patient and has been receiving immunobiological therapy for the third year, told Primorski Portal yesterday that she was returned from the Clinical Center for Bar without therapy on June 1.
"I am among the critical patients. I did not receive therapy. I was returned two weeks ago. The oncology doctor apologized to me and said that I was already the fourth patient that morning who was returned due to lack of therapy. We ran out of pembrolizumab or keytrude, the immunologic drug that I take. The gene drugs zelboraf and kotelic are failing... All supplies have been used up," she told Primorski portal.
A box of medicine costs about 2.700 euros, the patient says that it can be bought in neighboring countries and Turkey for about 3.500.
According to her, the medicine can be bought in neighboring countries, Turkey, and costs around 3.500 euros.
"Montefarm" announced a tender for the purchase of this medicine at the end of last year, and the estimated value of the package was 2.745,73 euros. 1.145 boxes were requested, so the procurement of this medicine cost about 3,14 million euros.
This institution said yesterday that the procurement of this group of drugs is not easy for several reasons, but that they are committed to the task of ensuring continuity in delivery.
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