Italian Authorities Monitored Due to Lack of Availability for Medication after Delicate Surgeries
Some local pharmacies in parts of Northeast Italy are facing a shortage of essential medicines, leaving patients in a critical state. A reader from Venice and another from Treviso have shared their worries about the unavailability of vital medicines like Creon and Advagraf, necessary for post-surgery recovery, with the local newspaper, Gazzettino. They say they have been unsuccessful in finding the required medications even in neighboring regions.
The issue of deficient drugs is not isolated and is attributed to international disturbance, intensified by the war between Russia and Ukraine. A recent report by the AIFA has revealed that there are currently 3,533 medicines listed as “unavailable”. The reasons cited include terminated marketing, production problems, and heightened demand, especially for widely consumed medicines like antibiotics, ibuprofen, and paracetamol. The increased consumption of these drugs amidst the ongoing pandemic has led to a shortage in the supply chain, causing distress to patients with severe health conditions.
Supply chain disruption has led to exorbitant production costs, leading to a scramble for medicines in multiple European markets. Despite the shortcomings, hospitals and health authorities are attempting to bridge the gap by importing the missing medications from foreign markets, often produced under different names by other pharmaceutical companies.
In one instance, a local health management in Padua had to import an anti-parasitic from Spain, a corticosteroid from Portugal, an anti-histamine from Great Britain, a muscle relaxant from Switzerland, an anti-bacterial from Greece, and a calcium channel blocker from Japan. However, the imported medication packages were only labeled in English or Japanese, prompting the authorities to provide Italian translations.
As a result of these challenges, patients are left in a vulnerable position, seeking alternatives to their prescribed medications. The healthcare system in the region is under scrutiny as authorities work to ensure that patients receive the required care and treatment despite the current limitations in the supply of essential drugs.
For more details about this issue, visit Il Gazzettino.