While Belgium has been among the leading countries in the pharmaceutical industry in recent years, it has made a name for itself due to the recent drug shortage. Across the country, there is a shortage of nearly 200 kinds of drugs, including pain relievers, antipyretics, blood pressure and cholesterol drugs.
While The Drug Shortage In Belgium continues, many drugs cannot be found in pharmacies. While there are not nearly 200 kinds of drugs available in the country, the shortage of drugs causes more victims. Pharmacists state that the shortage is experienced due to the disruptions in the production chains, especially the lack of raw materials due to the production being carried out in other countries.
Mustafa Kahya, who works at a pharmacy in Belgium’s capital Brussels, stated that many drugs could not be found and said, “It is true that many drugs are not available, as in the news, and are not on the shelves. Medicines do not come to Belgium because they are not produced enough. If we do not come to Belgium, we cannot sell to our customers. Our customers are victims. We cannot even offer alternatives to drugs, because when the drug is not available, there is an orientation to the alternative and it does not stay. We can never offer an alternative to people,” he said.
Noting that the problem of production is at the root of the drug shortage experienced, Kahya said, “My opinion is more about production. Not enough or not enough. This situation started for the first time during the corona epidemic period and continues. Frankly, I don’t know how long this situation will last. Currently, for example, most cholesterol drugs are not available. This is changing every month. For example, sometimes the medicines of the children do not come, sometimes the antibiotics do not come. Sometimes cholesterol, sometimes cancer pills, sometimes insulins. It changes every month, it changes every week, it changes every day. The people are victims. They are helpless. I refer back to their doctor. I say your doctor needs to find another alternative. So we are trying to find a solution. victims,” he said.
LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE WAYS
Some pharmacies, which cannot meet the demands of their customers, resort to alternative methods. Some pharmacies supply medicines that are limited in production or that they cannot find due to legal quotas in an emergency, with an ’emergency code’ from other countries. Stating that they resorted to this way out of desperation even though they did not fully comply with the law, pharmacists state that such drugs are more expensive and that patients are aggrieved because they are not covered by the state payment.
