Montenegrin hospitals have been without certain medications for months, such as thrombolytic drugs, antibiotics, therapy against heart diseases, and they also lack syringes, pipettes, digital thermometers...
Sources of "Vijesti" from several hospitals say that they are forced to buy certain medicines from their own funds, while from "Montefarm", which supplies dozens of health institutions, they say that they deliver the required therapies, medical devices and consumables every day and that a stoppage in distribution occurs only when the supplier of a medicine does not have the possibility of delivery.
"Given that Montefarm supplies 18 health centers, the Institute for Emergency Medical Assistance, eight general hospitals, three special hospitals, the Clinical Center, whether there is currently no medicine or ampoule available, it is unrealistic to expect a precise answer," explained Montefarm.
"Vijesti" interlocutors say that in ophthalmology there is a shortage of antibiotic ointment "chloramphenicol", as well as eye drops "unitropic 0,1 percent", which they have been buying from the hospital's funds for a long time.
They claim that they have been without "albumin 20 percent" infusion solution for months, as well as that they have not had "andol" of 300 mg since last year, and they also lack "propafenone", which is used in the treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
Hospitals are also without the drug "metaliza", which is given to patients in the event of a heart attack, and due to production problems, shortages of this therapy have been recorded throughout Europe. Some hospitals also lack "actyliza", a substitute medicine whose delivery is expected this month.
The doctors claim that they also lack "rivanol", a disinfectant for wounds, cuts and swelling, "dobutamine", which is used as a therapy for heart diseases in hospital conditions, and sporadically the antibiotics "cephalexin" and "primacef".
Some hospitals are without "forvel" solution, which is given in cases of opioid overdose.
Radiology also lacks "ultravist", a contrast agent that is given to patients during imaging with a scanner.
"Since last year, abdominal drains, redon drains, a certain number of surgical gloves, 20 ml syringes, panlax suppositories, digital thermometers have been missing, and we also had a shortage of bandages and gauze," claimed the "Vijesti" interlocutor.
The cytostatic failed last week
The supply of cytostatics used by oncology patients is now good and there are no delays in the distribution and delivery of this type of medicine.
Director of the Institute for Oncology of the Clinical Center Sanja Lekic She replied to "Vijesta" that that organizational unit is currently not short of drugs used by oncology patients.
"The previous week, the drug 'abraxan' was missing, which arrived at the beginning of this week, and the drug 'phesgo' was missing at the end of January for about ten days, and new quantities were delivered at the beginning of last week. As the medicine 'phesgo' is a new formulation of the already existing medicines 'herceptin' and 'perjeta', the patients who needed the application of 'phesga' in that period received 'herceptin' and 'perjeta', and there was no delay or delay with therapy".
She also replied that some of the medicines were at the lower limit of the stock, but at the beginning of February, the amount was delivered that allows them to work regularly, without delay.
In "Montefarm" they claim that there are no delays in the distribution and procurement of cytostatics and that they supply institutions that seek therapy for cancer patients on a daily basis.
"If the patient has just been given a certain rare or difficult diagnosis and needs to start treatment with a certain medicine that is not on the List of Medicines, but is approved by the medical committee of the Health Insurance Fund or the Ministry of Health, the purchase is made only after the decision arrives at Montefarma's address. Only in those cases, the patient waits for the supply, usually for a few days to start the treatment, and further continuation of the therapy is provided on time in the amount and for the period approved by the competent commission", answered from "Montefarm".
The media are mostly informed about the shortage of cytostatics by patients, who are forced to fend for themselves and buy the medicine in neighboring countries.
There is no 3.000% market supply of medicines. In support of this is the fact that for months the media in EU countries have been reporting on occasional drug shortages, and Italy has a shortage of 554 types out of XNUMX drugs on the List due to distribution and production problems, and Germany has been missing a number of syrups for children since October... Our market is stable , except for sporadic insufficient quantities, which for now we manage to overcome in a short period of time, say from "Montefarm"
In the second half of last year, there were shortages of several cytostatics, there were shortages of "zoladex", "pertuzumab" and "trastuzubam", "docetaxel", "zometa". due to a lack of money for their purchase, and some cytostatics failed due to problems in the production chain.
Sporadic shortages in pharmacies as well
Montenegrin pharmacies in the previous period were left without certain medicines mainly due to problems in the production chain.
In the previous period, citizens complained about the shortage of certain insulins, drugs against high blood pressure, but also antibiotic syrups for children, as well as "bromazepam" and "diazepam", which is used for calming.
"Montefarm" says that the supply of state pharmacies fully meets the needs of citizens, given that the basic and supplementary list includes more than 1.600 drugs and medical devices, and that prescriptions are filled in 56 of their pharmacies in Montenegro.
"Some of these drugs may occasionally be missing until the supply is replenished with the first subsequent delivery. Bearing in mind the fact that the claims of our suppliers are settled regularly, on a monthly basis, if a medicine is not currently available, the reason is the supplier's inability to provide the contracted quantities on time for several reasons: the manufacturer has a problem in the production chain, a change in the holder of the import license, loss of import license etc. Why is there no medicine on the Montenegrin market, no matter what medicine it is, Montefarm is not the address from which an answer can be given, because according to the current legal regulations, for many years our institution has not had the right to import medicines directly from the manufacturer, but procures them from public invitations in accordance with the Law on Public Procurement", they replied from that institution.
"Montefarm" also said that, in addition to 56 state pharmacies, citizens have the option to fulfill prescriptions in 120 private ones that have a contract with the Health Insurance Fund, and that the third option is that, if they still buy the medicine that is missing in a public institution, in cash, reimburse the costs to the Fund.
The new basic and supplementary list of medicines, which was adopted at the end of last year, includes 18 generic medicines, i.e. replacement therapies. This, the government claimed, saved the budget in the amount of 4,25 million euros, and the money will be diverted for the treatment of rare diseases.
Last week, the Democratic Party of Socialists criticized the decision of the Ministry of Health, claiming that after several years on the basic list, some anti-epilepsy drugs were transferred to the supplementary list, which means that patients now have to pay extra or change the drug and continue to use free replacement therapy.
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