The drug 5-fluorouracil, used to treat various types of cancer, is not available on the National Health Service, the Jornal de Notícias reports.
A cancer patient being monitored at the Guimarães Hospital questioned Infarmed about the lack of a drug with which he was undergoing chemotherapy and learned that “it is distributed on a limited basis, as a mitigation measure, because it is not available.”
According to the newspaper, 5-fluorouracil has been out of stock since mid-April, and there are two pharmaceutical companies authorized to sell the product: Accord and Hikma.
Accord plans to replenish the supply of the drug from June 11, Khikma – from July 1.
Contingency plans are already in place and patients are undergoing alternative therapeutic regimens.
The Guimarães hospital confirmed to the newspaper that “there have been disruptions in the supply of this medicine” and that a contingency plan has been activated.
According to the Jornal de Notícias, the president of the Order of Pharmacists, Helder Mota Filipe, acknowledges the industry’s lack of interest in producing this and other “cheap drugs.”
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
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