More drugs are disappearing from pharmacies. Some are temporary production stoppages, but some products have been withdrawn from the market permanently – their producers or distributors have removed them from their portfolio. It is a real problem for patients and doctors, because some of these drugs have no substitutes. Which of the scarce medicinal products will come back and which we will no longer buy in pharmacies?
- The analysis of the WherePoLek website shows that the number of missing drugs remains high – currently it is 37
- Among the shortcomings are, among others drugs for diabetes and depression, and antibiotics commonly used to treat childhood bacterial infections
- The biggest problem is those medicinal products that will no longer be available for sale and have no substitutes. In such a situation, the doctor will have to offer the patient a change in treatment
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
The WherePoLek website periodically analyzes the assortment of stationary and online pharmacies in Poland, taking into account e.g. problems with the availability of prescription drugs (Rx). The list of shortages includes those whose availability decreased by at least 50% compared to the previous analyzed period, and in addition, substitutes for these drugs are not readily available.
There are 37 items on the most recent list. Experts assessed which deficiencies could be most severe for patients.
Permanently withdrawn drugs
— Alfadiol – a drug containing a synthetic derivative of vitamin D (alfacalcidol), prescribed to people suffering from kidney diseases – it has been withdrawn from the manufacturer’s portfolio (GSK); no replacement;
— Mytelase – a drug used to treat myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease characterized by muscle tiredness – the distributor (Sanofi) does not intend to distribute this product anymore; no replacement;
The rest of the text below the video.
— Butapirazol (suppositories and ointment) – a painkiller used in inflammatory conditions of various origins;
— Pravator – a drug used to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease;
— Atenolol Sanofi – a drug prescribed for the treatment of, inter alia, arterial hypertension;
— Clatra – antiallergic drug for children 6-11 years of age.
List of scarce drugs – as of August 2022.
— Saxony – a drug that supports weight loss;
— victoza – an antidiabetic drug;
— Trulicity – a new generation drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes;
You can find a package of tests checking the basic parameters important in the prevention of diabetes in Medonet Market.
— Androcur – a hormonal drug used, inter alia, in the treatment of hirsutism in women or prostate cancer in men;
— At Ato – an antiemetic used in cancer patients and after operations;
— Welbox i wellbutrin XR – drugs containing bupropion, helpful in the treatment of, inter alia, depression;
— Augmentin ES and Amoxiclav ES – pediatric antibiotics.
The complete list of missing drugs is illustrated in the table below: