Improper distribution, the cause of lack of pen insulin / trouble for families to provide dietary milk powder

In an interview with Fars News Agency’s health reporter, Samaneh Shahramifar, explaining the situation of pharmacies and the availability of needed drugs, said: “Fortunately, we are not currently facing a serious shortage of drugs, but there are two main issues regarding the temporary shortage of drugs in the country.” A very important issue that cannot be denied is the issue of sanctions. Despite the fact that they say that sanctions do not apply to drugs, but in practice we see that a series of drugs cannot be procured. There are a number of famous companies in the world that do not work with Iran. Naturally, we do not have a series of medicines and raw materials available.

He added: Iran claims that we are independent in the pharmaceutical industry and produce it, but reaching the ideal state of drug production is the result of a complex technological process that takes time, and at this time, many patients experience this drug shortage.

A member of the Tehran Pharmacists Association further explained: The second issue that is raised for the lack of drugs comes back to the interior of the country. R&D (research unit) parts of factories should be more active and more funds should be allocated to them. Because the research unit of the factories are very expensive departments. Of course, it will be a very good income later, but until that point of view, we don’t have enough funds to make that scientific investment, which makes us practically short of pharmaceuticals.

He continued: It is obvious that many of the drugs that are in short supply are actually because we don’t have the raw materials for that drug, otherwise the technology of making these drugs might not be such a complicated issue. All these factors cause us to be in a shortage of raw materials and medicine. Of course, other debates such as administrative corruption and hidden hands behind the curtain definitely fuel this issue of drug shortage.

The impact of the corona epidemic on the shortage of drugs in Iran and the world

Shahramifar said about the impact of the covid epidemic on the shortage of drugs: the corona epidemic has definitely had an impact on the shortage of drugs because it increased the consumption of many drugs. This issue is not only related to Iran. This happens when the drug consumption increases. Even in the countries of the European Union and even in the United States itself, there is a series of terrible drug shortages. When the consumption goes up, it should be rationing, which is a natural thing, but in the Corona epidemic, less advanced countries and third world countries were more involved in this issue.

Which drugs are most lacking in country’s pharmacies?

This pharmacist doctor said about the current condition of pharmacies in terms of drug shortages: the main problem that is faced with the lack of drugs in pharmacies is the pen insulins of diabetic patients, whose distribution is not balanced, and the diabetic patient gets his medication with difficulty. Currently, pen insulin is mostly internal and the main problem is its distribution.

He added: Our main problem is not the lack of medicine, but the distribution of medicine. The distribution of pen insulin is mostly between special and selected and government pharmacies. The distribution of these insulins is not fair, and the patient cannot get them from the pharmacy near his home, and he must get his prescription from special pharmacies, which are mostly crowded, and he has to stand in line in this situation of Corona. Of course, I don’t mean that he gave this medicine to the patient without a prescription, because the patient who takes the medicine must be under the supervision of a doctor because the dose of the medicine goes up and down, but the process of getting the prescription should be easier for the patient.

Shahramifar continued to emphasize: The patient and his family are involved enough with the disease and side effects. This difficulty of preparing medicine is a double pressure that is imposed on the family. The psyche of the patient and the patient’s family should be comfortable. It means that they can get the medicine they need more easily.

He said about other drug shortages in the country: Another problem today is the lack of drugs, diet milk powders, which are needed by some children who have special problems. The process of obtaining that formula for the family has become very complicated and bureaucratic, which should not be like this.

Shahramifar added: It is definitely a matter that the creation of these difficult conditions is due to shorting the hands of the dealers and the black market. In fact, it is not supposed to put more pressure on families for the sake of correcting an issue.

Lack of foreign medicines and insistence of some patients on foreign medicine

A member of the Tehran Pharmacists Association said in relation to the shortage of foreign drugs: Foreign drugs are rarer than domestic types. Here, I consider it necessary to mention that this is the historical culture of our people, who sometimes insist on consuming it abroad despite the presence of Iranian quality medicine. For example, the thyroid medicine (levothyroxine), which is also available in Iran and has good quality, does not need to be used, for example, in Germany (Merck company).

He went on to say: Of course, one issue of this case is related to some doctors who are unkind to Iran’s pharmaceutical industry and insist that the medicine must be foreign and the patient trusts him, and this lack of medicine is felt by him. If there is really no need to take foreign medicine. I can confidently and with scientific support say that many domestically produced drugs, especially our neurological and cardiovascular drugs, are really of good quality.

In the end, Shahramifer said about the problem of shortage of nerve drugs: the problem of the lack of nerve drugs that was felt among patients during the past months has improved a lot, but we still have a problem of shortage in some special drugs, especially related to children’s nerves, which goes back to the distribution system.

end of message/