site.btaNo Short Supply of Medicines in Pharmacies, Hospitals - Health Minister

Medicines are not in short supply in the pharmacies and hospitals, Health Minister Assen Medjidiev told journalists here on Friday.

Approached about missing medicines for scarlet fever, Dr Medjidiev said that this is the first time he has heard about this problem. "As a rule, scarlet fever responds to antibiotics, and antibiotics are available in the pharmacy network," he said. His Ministry has taken action to procure the medicines for diabetes and asthma that have been scarcest Europewide, and four days ago the network was stocked with 27,560 packs of Osempic and 12,500 packs of  Fiasp, which will meet market demand over the next four months, the Health Minister explained. There is still a problem with the supplies of Ventolin, but this applies to all Europe, in his words. Assurances have been given that a quantity of Pulmicort will arrive next month.

Dr Medjidiev said that the availability of medicines is monitored on a regular basis, albeit the Specialized Electronic System for the Tracking and Analysis of Medicinal Products Included in the Positive Drug List (SESPA) is imperfect and should be adjusted. "We have drafted a bill on this adjustment, and as soon as the new Parliament is constituted the Health Ministry will table these amendments to the law so that the State could be enabled to exercise adequate control over wholesalers, the re-export of medicines and all these mechanisms," Dr Medjidiev added.  

He said that the public consultation on state financing of regional hospitals is ending on Monday.

The Health Minister hopes that the opening of a branch in Dobrich (Northeastern Bulgaria) of Varna Medical University will address the nurse understaffing.