After a shortage of antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis drugs, corticosteroids and certain medical devices was recorded in Montenegro, therapy in pharmacies was also lacking for patients with rare tumors.
Some citizens with adrenal gland tumors were forced to seek the drug "Mitotan" abroad.
Although in the middle of last month the commission of the Health Insurance Fund approved this therapy for one patient, she could not find the medicine in Montenegro. Medicines from the basic list of medicines, such as "lysodren" ("mitotane"), which is not registered in Montenegro, must be procured by "Montefarm", in a situation where they are approved by the Committee for Medicines of the FZO. This did not happen in the case of a patient who needs to use cancer therapy for the first time.
The patient received the drug from Germany, and a box of "Lysoredren" tablets was paid for around 914 euros.
"Montefarm" replied to "Vijesta" that the medicine "lysodren" has already been procured and delivered to the patient at the pharmacy. They explained that medicines that are not registered in Montenegro, as is the case with this one, are procured according to a special procedure, which requires time.
They said that "lysodren" is on the list of medicines, but it is approved by the FZO Committee, so they only purchase it when the decision of that committee arrives at the address of that institution.
"After that, we contact the supplier, and if the medicine is not registered in Montenegro, additional time is needed for it to obtain an import permit, as was the case with this medicine. When the supplier delivers the drug to our warehouse, we send it to the pharmacy specified in the delivered solution and deliver it only for a specific patient, in the quantity and for the period that was approved, which is the case with all other specific drugs," Montefarma wrote in the reply.
According to the unofficial information of "Vijesti", the drug arrived in Montenegro recently.
Vaccination against rabies and hepatitis B is missing
In the previous period as well, when there was a shortage of certain cytostatics, patients were forced to buy therapy abroad. A shortage of certain medicines, including antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis medicines, and corticosteroids, was recorded in Montenegro in the past months. Some health centers, even though it is the season of respiratory infections, ran out of longacef injections, which is why patients were forced to buy them. "Montefarm" said that 65.000 doses were delivered to the institutions at the end of February, which will be distributed to health institutions, but the Podgorica Health Center says that they are sporadically lacking that drug again.
"Montefarm" confirmed to "Vijesta" that health institutions are without rabies vaccine, whose delivery, in the best case, is expected in mid-April, if there are no delays in the production, distribution or registration of new batches.
"For the vaccine against rabies, like all other vaccines, a procurement tender was announced according to the assessment of the Institute for Public Health. "Montefarm" informed the Institute of Public Health that it is necessary to send the plan of necessary vaccines six months in advance. The estimate was submitted from the mentioned institution on October 18, 10, and upon its arrival, the tender was announced. "The producers insist on the plan six months before they produce the quantities intended for the immunization of the citizens of Montenegro, because only timely planning guarantees the availability of the necessary doses," answered Montefarma.
This institution explained that vaccines are given to a healthy population, which is subject to very strict controls, which requires sending needs six months in advance, while quality control, obtaining certificates, import permits and delivery take about two months.
In the meantime, it was confirmed to "Vijesti" from several health institutions that the vaccine against hepatitis B has been missing for months.
Shortages in Europe, but also in the region
The countries of the European Union, as well as the countries of the region, are facing drug shortages. The media in Croatia write that the country lacks about twenty medicines, as well as medical aids, while the possibility of larger shortages is being announced in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Brussels portal Politico announced at the end of January this year that in a survey on the supply of pharmacies in 29 European countries, including EU members, followed by Turkey, Kosovo, Norway and North Macedonia, almost a quarter reported a shortage of more than 600 types of drugs.
"The authorities in Belgium announced that their pharmacies lack close to 300 types of medicines. In Germany, that number is 408, while pharmacies in Austria cannot currently find more than 600 types of medicine. The list of missing medicines in Italy is even longer and ranges around 3.000 species..." Politico reported.
According to the survey, European countries lack the most antibiotics, especially "amoxicillin", which is used to treat respiratory infections, while cough syrups, "paracetamol" for children and drugs against high blood pressure are also difficult to find.
Politico states that the cause of the drug shortage is increased demand and reduced supply, but also inflation and the energy crisis, which are putting additional burdens on pharmaceutical companies.
"Seasonal infections, primarily flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), started early and are much stronger than usual. Also, an unusually large number of streptococcal A throat infections were registered in children. "Experts believe that the unusually high degree of this disease is connected to weaker immune systems that are no longer resistant to a number of germs that surround us in our daily lives, due to previous periods of quarantine," the Brussels portal announced.
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