Imported drugs are out of stock due to COVID-19 crisis

Production and export permits in the UK, Germany, and Belgium have been delayed, which has hampered domestic supply and demand

In Europe, companies other than essential facilities such as pharmacies and supermarkets have been suspended

Difficulties in supplying medical products are also continuing in the aftermath of COVID-19, which hit Europe.

 

According to the distribution industry on the 7th, domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies, such as Kuhnil Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, JW Pharmaceutical, and Pfizer Korea, stopped supply due to delays in the production of some specialized pharmaceutical products.

 

Recently, Amilo (100T/1000T), a diuretic sold by Kuhnil, was temporarily out of stock.

 

This is because the factory in China, the main raw material for the production of Amiloride, was caught in the aftermath of COVID-19.

 

Kuhnil announced that it will stop operating the plant by May 8th at distributors.

 

Because of this, it will be temporarily out of stock for a month.

 

Resupply is expected on May 11th.

 

Fosrenol 500mg (45T), which JW Pharmaceutical has imported from the UK in the form of finished products, have been suspended from March.

 

Fosrenol is used to treat hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic renal failure who undergo hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.

 

It seems that the spread of COVID-19 in the UK is seriously affecting domestic supply.

 

In mid-March, when JW pharmaceutical announced that the supply would be temporarily suspended due to the manufacturer's circumstances, the British government banned and closed the business of public gathering places such as cafes, pubs and restaurants, except essential facilities such as pharmacies and supermarkets.

 

As of today (7th), the total number of COVID-19 confirmed patients in the UK exceeded 50,000 people and 5373 patients died.

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson infected with COVID-19, is undergoing a strong social distance campaign while receiving intensive treatment due to worsening symptoms.

 

JW pharmaceutical announced that it can be replaced with Fosrenol powder 1g packets instead of Fosrenol tablets.

 

COVID-19 is also causing problems in exporting medical products in Germany.

 

Supply of Instanyl nasal spray 100mcg/1.8 mL, imported from Takeda, Germany by Daewoong Pharmaceutical was cut off.

 

Due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe, Daewoong said that the German government's export permission department in February was delayed for two months, causing a disruption in domestic supply.

 

This month, Pfizer Korea Pharmaceutical's Solu-Medrol 125mg, produced in Belgium, a neighboring country of Germany, was also sold out for a long time.

 

Pfizer Korea expects that normal supply will be possible by November.

 

Pfizer Korea does not give details of the reasons for the out of stock, but the company only explained that it was a delay in the production schedule of Solu-Medrol.

 

Currently, there are 20,000 COVID-19 confirmed patients in Belgium and 1632 deaths.

 

The Belgian government has also been taking steps to close companies temporarily and measures to restrict national movement since mid-March.

 

Meanwhile, Nitropress by Pfizer Korea, which is indicated for the immediate reduction of blood pressure of adult and pediatric patients in hypertensive crises, is also out of stock until May.