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No Paracetamol in State hospitals as MSD, SPMC point fingers
View(s):State hospitals are facing a shortage of Paracetamol, one of the most commonly used items in the essential drugs list.
“The Medical Supplies Division (MSD) is unable to provide the drug to hospitals until the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) supplies fresh stock,” said MSD Director General, Dr. Lal Panapitiya.
“Hospitals are facing a shortage and we have no buffer stocks to supply them” Dr Panapitiya explained. The SPMC said it will only be able to meet the current demand in two to three weeks time. State hospitals have been experiencing drug shortages from the beginning of this year, with no sustainable mechanism in place to rectify the issue. In March this year, most State hospitals faced a shortage of drugs.
Dr Panapitiya also claimed that the SPMC was unable to deliver the stocks ordered on time due to non-availability of raw materials. This was disputed by the SPMC which claimed that their failure to meet the demand was due to fluctuations in demand which has resulted in the shortage. Not a shortcoming on the part of the SPMC.
State hospitals use about 45 million tablets per month, of which a majority of them is supplied by the SPMC. “Paracetamol is commonly used in community medicine and so often at that, it shouldn’t be in short supply. This clearly shows there is an issue with the Health Ministry’s drug supply department,” explained Society of Government Pharmacists General Secretary.
According to Dr. Panapitiya, the ministry is looking at increasing Paracetamol production by the SPMC to meet the total demand at State hospitals.