Breast cancer patients were left without scheduled chemotherapy at the Institute of Oncology of the Clinical Center (KC) yesterday, because the drug "Taxol" was missing.
Yesterday, KC confirmed to "Vijesta" that they received small quantities of this medicine during December, despite claims from "Montefarm" and that 50 of the 400 requested boxes arrived yesterday, with a delay.
Some of the patients returned home yesterday without receiving therapy, and last night they said that no one informed them that smaller quantities of the drug had arrived and when they should come again, while some of them, judging by KC's response, received chemotherapy yesterday.
In that institution, they also claim that they expect new quantities of medicine today and by the end of the week.
"During December of the current year, the Clinical Center received insufficient amounts of the mentioned drug in relation to our requests, which we regularly send to AUCG 'Montefarm'. Even today, 50 of the requested 400 boxes arrived late. "Montefarm" also announced the delivery of another 40 boxes for tomorrow, and by the end of the week an additional 100 boxes. According to information from the KC Institute of Oncology, the same drug is switched on immediately when patients are given the drug," the answer reads.
The KC said that, according to the information they received from "Montefarm", the reason for the insufficient delivery of the medicine lies with the supplier itself, which even the institution that announces the tender for the procurement of medicines cannot influence.
Yesterday, the largest health care institution did not answer whether a therapeutic parallel is available to patients and whether and to what extent postponing therapy in oncology patients can affect their health.
The drug "Taxol" is used in the therapy of breast, ovarian and lung cancers.
During this year, in the largest health institution, minor shortages of cytostatics were recorded.
The public was mainly informed about this by patients who come for scheduled therapy and are informed that there is a shortage. At the beginning of the year, the drugs Abraxane and Phesgo were missing, for which it was becoming a therapeutic parallel, so there was no postponement of chemotherapy.
The biggest shortages of cytostatics in the last few years were recorded in the second half of 2022. In the second half of last year, shortages of several cytostatics were recorded, "zoladex", "pertuzumab" and "trastuzubam", "docetaxel", "zometa" were missing... According to according to the media, in one period as many as nine medicines that are given to oncology patients in hospital were missing.
The halt in the procurement of medicines for oncology patients in the second half of 2022 was due to a lack of money for their procurement, and some cytostatics failed due to problems in the production chain.
Oncology patients can currently receive chemotherapy only at the KC Oncology Institute. That institution recently announced the possibility of decentralization of the oncology service and the opening of oncology dispensaries in the north and south in 2024.
"The therapy would be prepared at the Institute of Oncology and transported closer to the patient's place of residence, which would, on the one hand, reduce significant funds for travel costs, and on the other, save time for patients who spend traveling, waiting and returning home, and that time with social from the psychological aspect can be used for the purpose of improving the quality of life", said KC.
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