Pharmacists hit Imbert over drug shortage at SFGH

PHARMACISTS at the San Fernando General Hospital have issued a public statement, about the chronic drug shortage at the hospital’s dispensary, in which they have criticised Health Minister Colm Imbert.

In an unprecedented move, the 25 pharmacists stated that they felt they had a responsibility to inform the public of the situation at the dispensary where up to yesterday, scores of patients were turned away due to the lack of drugs to treat life-threatening illnesses such as high-blood pressure, cardio-vascular thrombosis (heart), diabetes, infection and epilepsy. The hospital was up to yesterday still without these drugs as well as Panadol liquid, the pharmacists stated. As to why the dispensary was short of over 17 critical drugs, the pharmacists explained: “The SFGH uses a maximum/minimum order level that determines the order level at any point in time. The system ensures that the drug level is never exhausted.

It takes a minimum of two weeks for orders to be processed and delivered. A back order system is in effect whereby if the drug is nil at the supplier, and there are outstanding orders, it will be supplied once they receive medication.” But the pharmacists’ statement went on to say: “However, we at the SFGH have noticed that this is never practiced, since we have to be continually re-ordering.” The statement alleged discrimination in the supply of drugs to the SFGH in which the same drugs requested by SFGH, are instead made available to the Private Pharmacy Programme, while the public hospitals and health centres are being deprived of the same drugs. The statement said that it was common for the SFGH to receive drugs with “very short expiry dates from NIPDEC.”

The pharmacists pointed out that only last month, a supply of Epilim used to treat epileptic children, was delivered to the hospital with an expiry date of June 30, 2003. “Also, Vitamin K administered to newborn babies, was sent to the SFGH on September 11, 2003 marked with an expiry date of September 1, 2003. The pharmacists want to know why these drugs were sitting at NIPDEC and not sent to the hospital where they were desperately needed. The pharmacists have also called for an investigation into the criterion in the distribution of drugs to hospitals, contending that SFGH serves more than half the population yet receives less drugs than the North-West Regional Health Authority.” They stated that there is need for daily communication between NIPDEC personnel and SFGH’s administration on the availability of drugs at the health institution. The pharmacists ended their letter by chiding Imbert for reportedly saying that SFGH had utilised 76 percent of its drug budget.