People who have been living with HIV infection for 20 days cannot receive therapy, because there is no drug "tivicay" in pharmacies, which is taken in combination with other medications, the Montenegrin Foundation for HIV and Viral Hepatitis warned.
They stated that people living with HIV infection in Montenegro should, like everywhere in the world, have access to health care, which, among other things, includes the use of ART (antiretroviral therapy) daily, for life according to a certain daily schedule.
As the Foundation said, when therapy is used properly, people with HIV have better health, which does not require frequent visits to health services, and which contributes to an increase in the quality of life.
"From the public health point of view, it is important that people who regularly take the therapy cannot transmit the infection, which stops the chain of spreading the infection and the outbreak of the epidemic," says the announcement.
It is stated that patients receive prescriptions at the infectious disease clinic and then increase the therapy in one month, and only at the "Montefarma" pharmacy.
"Very often, patients come in time to pick up the therapy so that they don't run out," the announcement says.
It is clarified that the therapy used is a combination of two or three drugs, and that is the only way to achieve the appropriate effect.
"What is important is that these drugs cannot be used separately, which means that if one drug is not available (if a combination therapy of two or three drugs is used) the other drugs must not be used either, because they do not perform their function", they emphasized are from the Foundation.
As they said, these medicines are not available over the counter in Montenegro.
"However, for the last 20 days, one drug from the ART combination is not in the pharmacy. That medicine is called "tivicay". Patients cannot use the other drugs from this combination either, because one drug is missing," specified the Foundation.
According to them, for the past 20 days, more than 15 patients have been living in fear of the appearance of viral copies in the body and the appearance of symptoms of the disease caused by HIV infection.
"Since our patients are very disciplined and almost 95 percent of them have achieved a stable therapeutic response (they cannot transmit HIV infection because the name is a PCR negative test), there is an extremely great concern about the disruption of this good therapeutic response, the possibility of the virus appearing in the blood and the possibility of transmission of HIV infection to healthy people," the statement said.
Patients contacted the Montenegrin Foundation for HIV and Viral Hepatitis and reported a shortage of medicine.
"The representatives of Montefarma said that they had placed the order according to the legal regulations with distributors and suppliers, but that due to certain problems, the delivery of the medicine was not possible," the announcement states.
The Foundation asks if it is possible that in a country that is in Europe, in the 21st century, it can happen that a drug that saves lives, and is of great importance for the appearance of the HIV epidemic, cannot be procured and delivered patients at the time they need.
They said that with their address they want to point out the vital problems of HIV patients in Montenegro, which is a signatory to all declarations on the fight against HIV/AIDS together with all European countries.
"We want to point out the problems of procuring and distributing medicines for the needs of patients, as well as the existence of monopolies of certain companies on which the health of our patients depends," the statement added.
The Foundation said they are looking for responsibility for not providing opportunities for treatment to citizens living with HIV infection and for the urgent procurement of the missing therapy.
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