Concerns arise about securing COVID-19 treatment shortages

Heading to local health centers for drugs…"Why haven't any measures taken to prevent this situation?"

Clinical practices continue to prescribe without knowledge of the issues at pharmacies

The KDCA "Inventory shortages are not true…the issues are limited to particular regions"

COVID-19 is spreading due to the circulating KP.3 variant.

 

We have not learned lessons from the previous spread of the Omicron variant.

 

As demand for test kits surges, there are no remaining stocks at online pharmacies.

 

Even test kits with an expiration date within the end of October are no longer available.

 

Due to shortages of oral medicines, patients prescribed Paxlovid and Lagevrio visit one pharmacy after another or do not receive medicines.

 

Now, the nation appears to be in chaos.

 

Clinical practices are not aware of stock issues at the pharmacy, and pharmacies have no drugs.

 

Local governments and the government are bombarded with inquiries.

 

◆"COVID-19 patients surged in a short period…prescriptions are made despite no drug availability"= The current situation is due to the surge in COVID-19 patients in a short period.

 

After the announcement of the endemic, the number of patients showed a decreasing trend, but it has rapidly increased since July.

 

Based on pharmacy data, an increased demand for COVID-19 self-test kits began on June 30th.

 

According to the pharmacy data analytics service Care Insight (www.careinsight.co.kr), sales increased from ▲429 in June 30th-July 6th, ▲625 in July 7-13th, ▲1249 in July 14-20th, ▲2223 in July 21-27th, and ▲5850 in July 28th-August 3rd, doubling every week.

 

A pharmacist 'A' in the metropolitan area said, "We have experienced an increase in COVID-19 patients since the end of July.

 

We suspected it after seeing increasing demand for the test kits.

 

The price for the test kits increased on demand from the end of July and the beginning of August, and now we are out of stock." The pharmacist added, "Even the remaining COVID-19 medicines sold out quickly." This pharmacy started receiving the distribution of COVID-19 medicines at the end of July.

 

The pharmacist explained, "A public health center requested us to manage COVID-19 medicines tightly.

 

Because we previously did not have that many number of patients, most pharmacies may not have a large quantity of stocks." The number of patients had been decreasing.

 

When the medicines became charge-based, there were only two prescription cases within a month.

 

The problem is that the number of patients is increasing but, there are not enough medicines.

 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) expanded the distribution of medicines from once per week to twice per week, and the KDCA promised to distribute as much as pharmacies requested supplies.

 

However, it is uncertain whether they can deliver this.

 

This situation has arisen because we do not know how much COVID-19 medicines the KDCA has in stock.

 

As the nation's demand for medcines keeps increasing, the supply requested from individual pharmacies is in short.

 

Pharmacies that requested supplies from July 30th to August 5th have been rejected, and less than half of the stock is being delivered.

 

A pharmacist 'B' in Seoul said, "We requested 96 drugs, but the quantity we received was 12, which we sold out of in 2 hours." The pharmacist added, "Other pharmacies within the same area are experiencing the same.

 

There are cases where they requested but received none." As a result, the KDCA requested that prescriptions be made only for individuals over 60 years old with underlying diseases.

 

The KDCA emphasized, "Please be advised to check with and prescribe COVID-19 medicines to high-risk patients with symptoms who are likely to progress to severe cases, thereby requiring oral medications, by the COVID-19 medicines guidelines." The KDCA requests clinical practices to prescribe only to people with ▲Tumors or hematological cancers ▲Congenital immunodeficiency disorders ▲'immuno-compromised individuals' like post-lung transplant patients ▲Diabetes ▲Hypertension ▲Cardiovascular diseases ▲Chronic kidney diseases ▲Chronic lung diseases ▲Body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m2 or higher ▲Underlying diseases, such as neurodevelopmental disorder or mental illnesses.

 

◆Local authorities notify pharmacists to "come to local healthcare centers for drugs"'= Confusion occurs when the local government attempts to distribute medications during shortages.

 

The KDCA has distributed additional quantities of medications through local public health centers.

 

However, these quantities are insufficient to cover all designated pharmacies, leading to issues of fairness and equity between pharmacies.

 

As of August 8th, it is understood that the distributed medication amounts to a supply of 15,000 people.

 

In region 'D,' the government has announced that they will distribute and allocate medication in the same proportion, considering the orders placed this week and last week and the current usage levels at designated pharmacies.

 

A local pharmacist said, "We received a message apologizing for a limited quantity due to evenly distributing additional medicines to all pharmacies." The pharmacist said, "However, we were told to come to local health centers to receive medicines since they cannot make deliveries to all pharmacies." In region 'E,' the distribution was confirmed to be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

A pharmacist from area 'E' stated, "On the afternoon of August 8th, the public health office official notified us via a social media group chat that only a tiny quantity would be available.

 

They were accepting orders on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

When I checked the message later, the stock had already been depleted." ◆KDCA says, "Temporary shortage, concerns are limited to particular areas"= The KDCA, the control tower for oral COVID-19 medications, shows an entirely different response.

 

In response to criticism for rapid COVID-19 medicine usage and emptying Paxlovid inventory, the KDCA explained that "Particular regions may experience temporary shortages, but it is not true that stocks are running out." The KDCA said, "We thoroughly monitor real-time usage and inventory levels to prevent drug shortages.

 

Collaborating with cities and provinces, we provide additional supply quantities to cities and provinces to respond to real-time demand in each region." They added, "If pharmacies are concerned about a shortage of medicines before the regular supply arrives, they can receive the supply management quantities from the local health centers." This response is entirely different from the situation at local pharmacies.

 

The KDCA said, "However, the supply amount for individual pharmacies is determined based on actual usage, inventory levels, and the amount that can be distributed within the region.

 

Therefore, it may not always match the requested quantities." The KDCA added, "We are working on additional purchases to protect high-risk individuals until stable supply within the general healthcare system is achieved."