MAJOR pharmaceutical wholesalers in the country suspended
operations indefinitely on Monday after running out of stocks owing to a crippling
foreign currency shortage, triggering a massive scarcity of life-saving drugs
that is putting millions of lives at risk, the Zimbabwe Independent has
established.
The foreign currency crisis has also affected drug
manufacturers, who import most of their raw materials.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe (PSZ) said this week
the majority of pharmaceutical wholesalers have stopped trading after failing
to replenish their stocks due to forex shortages.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya
admitted that due to the huge backlog of foreign currency allocations, the
central bank has not been making timely allocations to priority areas,
including the health sector.
The foreign currency shortages have crippled importation of
essential drugs and raw materials, which account for between 70-90% of the
country’s needs.
The suspension of operations by the suppliers of most of
the country’s critical medications has turned the nation’s chronic drug
shortage into a full-blown health crisis, threatening the lives of millions of
Zimbabweans.
Investigations by the Independent show that essential drugs
such as sodium valproate and lamotrigine for epilepsy were out of stock while
drugs for hypertension (high blood pressure) such as tenoric, atenolol,
nifedipine, cardura, bisoprolol, aldactone, valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide
containing medicines were last supplied to some pharmacies three to four months
ago. The pharmacies have now run out of stock, putting at risk millions of hypertensive
patients.
According to the Ministry of Health, the number of new
patients diagnosed of hypertension has been increasing with 718 648 cases
reported in 2016. In Zimbabwe, the prevalence of hypertension is estimated at
30% of the total population, which is higher than HIV, tuberculosis and
diabetes.
In addition, diabetes medications like ranophage,
glimepiride and insulin are also in short supply.
Health sources also said pharmacies have run out of allergy
medicines such as promethazine, chlorpheniramine cetirizine, anti-coagulant
warfarin and xarelto as well as some basic medication like painkillers and
anti-biotics. Slow-release morphine needed by cancer patients is also out of
stock.
“Some of these medicines have been out of stock for the
past three to four months. These are just a few of the essential drugs in short
supply. The country is now sitting on a health time bomb, which cannot be
wished away because people will die if nothing is done soonest,” one retailer
said.
PSZ president Portifa Mwendera said despite an earlier
commitment by the RBZ to prioritise the industry in the allocation of foreign
currency, the central bank has, for the past six months, failed to honour its
pledge of releasing US$4 million every week.
PSZ is the umbrella representative body for pharmaceutical
manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.
In terms of RBZ policies, companies willing to import
request payment of specific amounts to their trading partners through their
bank’s nostro accounts. These are accounts which banks hold in foreign currency
with other banks outside the country.
The bank would then request approval from the RBZ, which
then does its allocations depending on the available foreign currency reserves.
However, the central bank has been failing to make
meaningful allocations.
Mwendera said the RBZ has allocated only US$7 million for
the second quarter.
“They (wholesalers) don’t have stocks for most of the
imported drugs. The country is now in serious trouble. We are not getting any
foreign currency allocation. We require US$4 million per week and the RBZ
committed itself to make those allocations but this has not happened,” Mwendera
said.
“The last allocation was made in the second quarter for
April to June where we got only US$7 million, the bulk of which went to public
hospitals. There was no allocation at all in the third quarter and now this is
the result.
“To make matters worse, we used to get drugs on credit from
foreign suppliers, but since we started having these foreign currency issues,
no one gives us anything on credit anymore. The coming weeks could be
critical.”
He added that: “We have non-availability of some drugs such
as insulin and oral anti-diabetic as well as salbutamol inhalers. Blood
pressure drugs such as atenolol and nifedipine have been out of stock for
months now. This is making the management of patients who need these chronic
medications quite difficult and costly. It had been our hope that monetary
authorities would move with haste to address the dire need that exists in the
sector.”
Mangudya said the backlog was attributable to high demand
for forex from various sectors.
“We shall be attending to this priority requirement with
the objective to reduce the backlog and to meet current requirements,” he said.
Zimbabwe imports 70-90% of its drugs, hospital consumables
and equipment at a total annual cost of US$400 million. On Monday, one supplier notified its customers that it was
rationing supplies due to dwindling stocks.
However, just hours later, the supplier said it was
suspending all sales until further notice.
“Please note that our stock levels are now low and we do
not have enough to meet current demand. We therefore will be rationing stocks
to US$2 000 per customer per week. Please bear with us until the situation
normalises,” reads a notice sent to a pharmaceutical chain.
Hours later, the same supplier wrote them stating that: “We
regret to inform you we have suspended all sales with immediate effect. For
those who had placed orders, please note we are holding them awaiting further
instructions. We sincerely regret any inconveniences caused.” Zimbabwe
Independent
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