via AllAfrica.com, by Khopotso Bodibe
The national health department has contracted additional pharmaceutical manufacturers to make up the critical shortage of the antiretroviral tenofovir across the country.
HIV clinicians and doctors warned last week that the continued stock out of tenofovir and the failure to advise health workers on how to deal with it was a looming disaster.
Reports of stock outs go as far back as October last year with the explanation given that the drug suppliers Aspen Pharmacare and Sonke Pharmaceuticals were not able to meet the demand once they were awarded the tender.
It emerged this week that the national health department had directed provinces to order tenofovir from two additional suppliers.
Dr Anban Pillay, Cluster Manager for Financial Planning and Health Economics in the national health department, confirmed that Adcock Ingram Pharmaceuticals as well as Cipla Medpro Pharmaceuticals were now also supplying tenofovir to provinces.
"The procurement rules allow that. Obviously, there's a good reason for it. The current suppliers are not able to keep up with the total need. So, for the balance they are allowed to go out and get it from other suppliers," Pillay explained.
Aspen Pharmacare and Sonke Pharmaceuticals were initially contracted to supply tenofovir to the public sector antiretroviral programme, but they have struggled to meet the demand.
"The split between Aspen Pharmacare and Sonke is a 70 30 split, meaning that 70% of the volume goes to Aspen and 30% to Sonke. Unfortunately, Sonke hasn't been able to ramp up its production to the level that is required to meet the demand," said Pillay.
The national health department estimates that tenofovir is dispensed to about 1.2 million patients every month.
Aspen Pharmacare was only able to increase its production to the 70 per cent tender requirement in recent weeks. With Sonke Pharmaceuticals not being able to supply its quota of the tender, the supplies from Aspen Pharmacare were not sufficient to serve all patients on tenofovir, resulting in the shortage.
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[Content that is linked from other sources is for informational purposes and should not construe a Mapping Pathways position. Please look for us on Facebook here www.facebook.com/MappingPathways and you can follow us on Twitter @mappingpathways as well.]
The national health department has contracted additional pharmaceutical manufacturers to make up the critical shortage of the antiretroviral tenofovir across the country.HIV clinicians and doctors warned last week that the continued stock out of tenofovir and the failure to advise health workers on how to deal with it was a looming disaster.
Reports of stock outs go as far back as October last year with the explanation given that the drug suppliers Aspen Pharmacare and Sonke Pharmaceuticals were not able to meet the demand once they were awarded the tender.
It emerged this week that the national health department had directed provinces to order tenofovir from two additional suppliers.
Dr Anban Pillay, Cluster Manager for Financial Planning and Health Economics in the national health department, confirmed that Adcock Ingram Pharmaceuticals as well as Cipla Medpro Pharmaceuticals were now also supplying tenofovir to provinces.
"The procurement rules allow that. Obviously, there's a good reason for it. The current suppliers are not able to keep up with the total need. So, for the balance they are allowed to go out and get it from other suppliers," Pillay explained.
Aspen Pharmacare and Sonke Pharmaceuticals were initially contracted to supply tenofovir to the public sector antiretroviral programme, but they have struggled to meet the demand.
"The split between Aspen Pharmacare and Sonke is a 70 30 split, meaning that 70% of the volume goes to Aspen and 30% to Sonke. Unfortunately, Sonke hasn't been able to ramp up its production to the level that is required to meet the demand," said Pillay.
The national health department estimates that tenofovir is dispensed to about 1.2 million patients every month.
Aspen Pharmacare was only able to increase its production to the 70 per cent tender requirement in recent weeks. With Sonke Pharmaceuticals not being able to supply its quota of the tender, the supplies from Aspen Pharmacare were not sufficient to serve all patients on tenofovir, resulting in the shortage.
Read the rest.
[Content that is linked from other sources is for informational purposes and should not construe a Mapping Pathways position. Please look for us on Facebook here www.facebook.com/MappingPathways and you can follow us on Twitter @mappingpathways as well.]
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