Essential meds in short supply at Sudan pharmacies

Pharmacies in the Sudanese capital Khartoum as well as the other states are witnessing lack of many types of medicines amid rising prices.

Dr Nasri Margas, the former head of the private pharmacies department, attributed the lack of medicines to pharmacies halting importation and sales due the rise in price of the Dollar.

He explained that most of the types of drugs are not available in pharmacies and companies, pointing out that the prices of medicine have increased by 300 percent during the past months.

The chamber of medicine importers demanded fixing of the exchange rate of the Dollar for the import of medicines and formation of a government mechanism to ensure its stability at SDG 47.5 according to the advertised price, while the Ministry of Health called on the chamber of importers of medicines to endure the rise in the price of the Dollar so as to guarantee the provision of medicines at affordable price.

Margas called for the state’s support of the Dollar for the importation of medicines in accordance with the conditions of citizens, warning of the dire consequences of the continued rise in the price of the Dollar on the pharmaceutical sector.

Pharmacists stop imports

Pharmaceutical companies have reportedly imported less to no medicines since the US Dollar exchange rate exceeded SDG 30. The stop has led to a scarcity of a number of medicines.

The Sudanese board of medicines and toxins has instructed pharmaceutical companies to sell all medicines in the stores at the minimum price of SDG 30 per Dollar.

A number of people complained about the lack of various medicines and medical supplies in pharmacies. Pharmacists said the price increases for medicines reached 60 per cent. Prices of blood pressure medicines have risen, for example.

On Monday, Health Minister Mohamed Abuzeid held a meeting with the Chamber of Importers of Medicines to find a radical solution that allows to provide people with medicines at reasonable prices.

Abuzeid told Sudanese media that diabetics can expect to be provided with insulin and denied that there is a scarcity of the medicine.

In August, people in Sudan complained about the lack and high prices of lifesaving medicines to tread chronic conditions such as blood pressure and diabetes, as well as medicines related to epilepsy and other neurological and psychological conditions.