NIPDEC: CDAP’s not out of stock

NIPDEC also said it was working to meet the increased demand for “spacers” (a device used with inhalers) for children with asthma.

In a media release, NIPDEC (which purchases pharmaceuticals for the Health Ministry) said it supplied the 50 items in CDAP and 95 percent of them are currently in stock “in sufficient quantities.”

Although the demand for spacers for asthmatic children “had significantly increased,” NIPDEC assured that it was “not out of stock.”

NIPDEC said it was experiencing difficulty obtaining adequate supply of Omeprazole, a drug used for treating acid reflux but added, “a new shipment is expected at the end of this month.”

NIPDEC dismissed reports of a shortage of prescription forms saying, “doctors can and do call our Central Stores office requesting forms which are then delivered via TTPost.”

Wazir Hosein, the former president of the Pharmacy Board, told Newsday he had warned NIPDEC that there would be a high demand for Omeprazole and sufficient quantities should be stocked in advance. He said the drug has been out of stock in the CDAP programme for more than two months. Hosein said the high demand for the drug would be from people who developed stomach trouble due to side effects from medication and people who had ulcers.

A report carried in another daily newspaper quoted a release from the Medical Association stating that there was a rarity of certain drugs and no forms were available for doctors to write the relevant prescriptions.

The association said among the available drugs were spacers for asthmatic children and Omerprazole.

CDAP was introduced by the Health Ministry in 2003. It currently provides 50 pharmaceutical items to treat 11 chronic diseases including arthritis, cardiac diseases and enlarged prostate.