Certain types of medicines to suppress pain and fever in children, preparations for diabetics or penicillin antibiotics are currently difficult to find in Czech pharmacies. The situation is caused by outages in deliveries, which are reported several weeks or months in advance. We are dealing with these outages more often and on a larger scale than we used to. One of the reasons is the policy of lockdowns in China, due to which medicines are waiting in Asian factories and ports. The transport and storage of medicinal products requires special knowledge and, of course, certification (Healthcare QMS license for the handling of medicinal products), which few transporters have. Another reason is, for example, faulty planning of production programs due to changes in drug consumption during the pandemic. In addition, we are witnessing delays in the supply of the active substance or packaging materials - such as the current lack of aluminum for the production of blisters or paper for boxes for some manufacturers. Another reason is also the price policy, when deliveries of insufficient medicines are prioritized to other countries with a higher price or reimbursement. For example, in preparations for pressure, cholesterol, diabetes. With them, the payment and price of the daily dose for the patient is often only tens of pennies. Supply was also negatively affected by the war in Ukraine (partial stoppage of transport through Russia), increased demand for some medicinal products, as well as the rise in prices of all materials and transport. 

 However, the current situation is definitely not critical, all the insufficient drugs can be replaced without much impact on the treatment process.

However, it must be admitted that the situation is often uncomfortable for patients. In some cases, especially if we know in advance that the supply is not optimal, it is advisable to call our pharmacy. The VFN hospital pharmacy has an online overview of stock Stocks – Pharmacy of the General University Hospital in Prague (vfn.cz), or medicines can be booked online Medication reservation – VFN patient portal in Prague. When it is not possible to secure the required drug in the pharmacy, or its generic replacement, it is necessary to agree on a suitable alternative with the doctor as soon as possible, so that the course of treatment is not disrupted.

Free according to the Pharma Profit web portal, 12/12/2022