Thobeka Ngema|Published 11 minutes agoHealth Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has revealed that medicines frequently affected by stock disruptions include antibiotics, tuberculosis medicines, oncology products, insulin, and selected paediatric antiretroviral medicines.In a parliamentary response to Mariam Muhammad (MK Party) recently, the minister addressed her questions about whether the department had conducted a medicine stock audit at public hospitals and clinics in the past 12 months.The response also provided details on frequently unavailable medicines, the provinces most significantly affected, and the interventions implemented to prevent future stockouts.Motsoaledi stated that the department had not conducted a national audit of medicine stock at all public hospitals and clinics in the past 12 months.However, medicine availability and stockholding are managed and monitored through routine reporting systems, including RxSolution and the Stock Visibility System (SVS). The systems submit weekly data to the National Surveillance Centre (NSC) and provide sufficient information to support the ongoing monitoring and management of medicine availability. Additionally, routine biannual stocktaking at provincial depots, targeted assessments, and stock visibility reporting at depots, hospitals, and clinics are undertaken to identify, monitor, and address medicine supply disruptions.“Medicines most frequently affected by stock disruptions included certain antibiotics, tuberculosis medicines, oncology products, insulin, and selected paediatric antiretroviral medicines,” Motsoaledi said. AntibioticsCiprofloxacin: 200mg/100ml; injection; 100ml injection has experienced shortages due to increased demand. Ciprofloxacin 400mg/200ml injection was used as an alternative.Flucytosine: 500mg; tablet; 100 tablets were affected by increased demand and manufacturing delays. Amphotericin B deoxycholate injection was used as an alternative.Fosfomycin: granules; one sachet (3g) experienced shortages due to increased demand. Nitrofurantoin, oral, 100mg was available as an alternative.Mebendazole: 100mg; tablet; six tablets, and Mebendazole: 500mg; tablet; one tablet were affected by a shortage of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). Stock was expected by mid-June. Mebendazole 100mg/5ml 30ml suspension was used as an alternative, where required.Tuberculosis medicinesDue to a global shortage of Rifampicin, supply disruptions mainly affected Rifampicin-containing products. Delayed provincial payments also contributed to supply challenges.Oncology medicinesBleomycin: 15IU; injection; one injection could not be supplied due to manufacturing constraints. Stock was sourced through a Section 21 process.Carboplatin: 450mg/45ml; injection; 45ml experienced manufacturing delays. Stock was sourced from an alternative supplier.Docetaxel: 20mg/ml; injection experienced manufacturing constraints. Paclitaxel: 30mg/5ml; injection; 5ml and Paclitaxel; 100mg/16.7ml; injection; 16.7ml were used as alternatives.Filgrastim: 30MU; syringe, prefilled; one syringe experienced supply constraints. PEG-Filgrastim: 30MU; syringe, prefilled; one syringe was recommended as an alternative.“Oncology medicine supply remains challenging due to reliance on a limited number of international manufacturers,” Motsoaledi said. Paediatric antiretroviral medicinesNevirapine: 50mg/5ml; suspension; 100ml experienced shortages due to a shortage of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) required for manufacturing.Nevirapine: 50mg/5ml; suspension; 240ml experienced increased demand because of shortages of the 100ml presentation.Lamivudine: 10mg/ml; solution; 240ml was temporarily affected by increased use as an alternative to Nevirapine. Supply has since been restored.“Based on information obtained from the NSC, provinces most affected by stock disruptions were the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces,” Motsoaledi said. The minister listed the following as some of the interventions the department implemented: Continuous monitoring of medicine availability through the NSC and other reporting systems such as SVS and RxSolution;Engagement with suppliers to improve supply continuity and maintain agreed delivery timelines;Stock redistribution between provinces and facilities where feasible;Procurement from alternative suppliers and use of therapeutic alternatives where applicable;Facilitation of Section 21 applications through the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for unregistered medicines where necessary;Strengthening communication and escalation processes between national, provincial and facility levels;Conducting supplier visits and performance reviews to improve contractual obligations compliance and supply planning; andCollaborating with provincial departments to implement mitigation plans to minimise impact on patient care.[email protected] Related Topics: