Anvisa warns of risk of drug shortages

Amid reports of consumers facing difficulties in purchasing medicines, the Ministry of Health and Anvisa admit that there is a risk of shortages of certain medicines on the market, according to report published in O Globo newspaper.

Among the 106 establishments surveyed, the report finds that there is a lack of saline solution in around 87,6% of institutions. In around 63%, injectable dipyrone is no longer available for the treatment of pain and fever. For patients suffering from autoimmune diseases that cause muscle weakness, doctors recommend the use of nesotigmine. The medicine is missing in just over half of the organizations.

The problem of medicine shortages has been occurring since the beginning of the year, but has intensified in the last two months. The main reasons are the rise in the dollar and the price of oil, inflation and the increase in the use of medicines during the winter. Furthermore, lockdowns in China earlier this year increased the price of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), which is the main ingredient in the manufacture of medicines.

Brazil produces only 5% of the IFA used in national production, the rest is imported. From China alone, the country imports 68% of its inputs.

Curto curation

• The difficulty in importing inputs causes a lack of medicines in São Paulo (CBN Radio)
• What to do if your medicine 'disappears' from the shelves (BBC News Brasil)
• The lack of medicines in public and private networks (Agência Brasil)

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