Shortage in pharmacies in Las Tunas: 35 medications per card in shortage

The shortage of medicines regulated by the so-called card has reached critical dimensions in recent weeks in Las Tunas.

At the moment,as recognized by the local official press, of the total of 86 types of medicines that are controlled by the cards, 35 are completely missing in the warehouses.

Among the drugs in short supply are allopurinol, enalapril, methyldopa, omeprazole, theophylline, colchicine and ketotifen tablets.

In addition, 19 have low coverage and only 31 will be received entirely in pharmacies in the eastern province.

The situation is “very critical,” acknowledged Arianna Pupo Vázquez, commercial specialist at the Directorate of Pharmacies and Opticians of that province.

The lack of raw materials for national production and the problems in the importation of 20 drugs are the fundamental causes of this situation, the official explains.

The shortage of medicines in that province has already become common and a reflection of the crisis that extends to the entire country.

In JuneOnly 18% of the drugs needed by the population were received in Las Tunas, and many times not all demand was covered, so sales had to be rationed.

In Las Tunas, there are 108 community pharmacies, of which 30 are in the main municipality. The basic list of medications is made up of 286 drugs, of which 86 are under control and 20 are completely imported.

Last July,The government recognized that a total of 251 medications manufactured in Cuba are in short supply, which represents 40% of those in the basic cadre.

Of the 12 control card medications with the highest number of patients enrolled, for example, five of them ended up affected.

The authorities attribute the causes of the problems in the production of medicines to the non-availability of the raw materials and materials necessary for production (in 94% of cases); and breakages in production plants (6%).

The official discourse, far from assuming its share of responsibility, continues to accuse the United States and the embargo of the reason why there are no medicines in Cuba, an argument that for many experts in international relations is unsustainable, due to the very nature that the sanctions against the Cuban communist government.