South Africa seeks alternative medicines amid shortages
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL
Illustrative image · World Sikh Organization of Canada · Pexels · Licence PexelsSouth Africa’s national health department is buying alternative medicines amid shortages affecting up to 50 essential treatments. Patients may be temporarily switched to equivalent products, while the Democratic Alliance is calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the causes and risks, IOL reports.
South Africa’s Department of Health is seeking and buying replacement medicines to address shortages of essential treatments. Some patients may temporarily be switched to alternative medicines considered suitable for their condition, the department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, told IOL.
The department attributes supply difficulties to several factors, including geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and, in some cases, local manufacturers’ failure to meet regulatory requirements set by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). It is working with suppliers to restore normal supply levels, according to Foster Mohale.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s opposition party, says up to 50 critical medicines are affected. Its health spokesperson, Michele Clarke, has called for a special meeting of the parliamentary health committee to examine the scale of the shortages and measures to protect patients.
The medicines cited include amlodipine for high blood pressure and angina, rosuvastatin for high cholesterol, metformin for type 2 diabetes, and olanzapine for schizophrenia and manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Michele Clarke fears adverse reactions, confusion over replacement treatments and some patients stopping their treatment, IOL reports.
