KPDS demands gov. action to end chemotherapy drug shortages

The KPDS urges gov. to release information on corrective measures to address 5-FU drug shortages.

“Government should take responsible measures to instill trust in citizens that essential medicines taken today will continue to be available in the future.”

The Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society (KPDS)

The Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society (CEO: Hyeong-geun Shin, KPDS) has criticized the government’s system for the stable supply of essential medicines.

 

The KPDS stated on the 28th that “5-fluorouracil, referred to as 5-FU, is a chemotherapy drug used to treat several types of cancers, including colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer.

 

It is considered essential for treatments that it has been listed in the WHO’s list of essential medicines, and in Korea, it has been designated and managed as a shortage prevention drug (SPD) since 2010.

 

However, over the past month, the unstable supply and demand of 5-FU have led to delays in chemotherapy schedules, by 1 to 4 weeks, and frequent switches to alternative drugs in cancer patients.

 

The gravity of the current issue concerning drug availability for cancer patients is evident in online communities.

 

Many patients have shared their experiences of traveling from other cities to hospitals in Seoul, only to find that they cannot receive necessary treatments due to drug shortages.

 

Furthermore, these online communities serve as a platform for patients to exchange information on which hospitals currently have the essential medications in stock.

 

“The concern is that the drug-producing companies have not disclosed the reasons behind the causes of drug shortages and have failed to propose alternative solutions to resolve this issue.

 

Instead, the company has only explained the challenges in the CRO processes as their explanation for the difficulties,” the KPDS insisted.

 

And “The government's response to the issue has been inadequate,” the KPDS criticized, “The government claims that there is a system, through collaboration with related agencies and experts, in place for essential medicines for monitoring supply and demand stages and receiving reports from companies on supply halts.

 

However, there is a lack of publicly available information on the government's actions and corrective measures.

 

Additionally, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) website does not provide the latest reports on supply halts, as required by the reporting system for supply-halted medicines.” The KPDS has requested a release of several information related to the 5-FU supply issue: ▲Reporting by JW Pharmaceutical regarding the supply halt of 5-FU (Products: 5-FU Injection Choongwae 5ml/10ml/20ml), as required by the reporting system for supply-halted medicines ▲Details on the government’s review of JW Pharmaceutical’s reports, as required by the reporting system for supply-halted medicines ▲Drug monitoring reports from MFDS and Korea Orphan & Essential Drug Center regarding the supply halt of 5-FU ▲Supply and demand monitoring results from HIRA’s Korea Pharmaceutical Information Service (KPIS) regarding the supply halt of 5-FU ▲Content of the contract between the government and JW Pharmaceutical regarding the designation of 5-FU as shortage prevention drug (SPD) ▲Additional reports submitted by JW Pharmaceutical to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and MFDS concerning the 5-FU issue, besides the reporting system for supply-halted medicines ▲Corrective measures implemented by MOHW regarding the fair distribution of 5-FU supply to patients in need ▲Additional corrective measures implemented by MOHW and MFDS to facilitate the 5-FU supply ▲Corrective measures to stabilize 5-FU supply in the future.

 

“The government should take effective measures, or show responsible actions, to instill trust in citizens that essential medicines taken today will continue to be available in the future,” the KPDS urged, “We expect that the government will put efforts to ensure that citizens can access essential medicines without difficulty.”