The public organization for consumer rights protection “Public Consumer Initiative” (OPI) warned Roszdravnadzor about the seasonal shortage of therapies for influenza, colds and coronavirus infection in pharmacies. The Kommersant newspaper writes about the situation referring to a letter from Oleg Pavlov, the chairman of the OPI, to the supervisory authority.
According to the organization, in a number of regions shortage led to price growth by 5-10% due to the fact that pharmacies were not prepared for a surge in incidence and the seasonal increase in demand for medicines. Five regions are dealing with the most difficult situation. These are Tatarstan, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Novosibirsk regions.
According to Pavlov, the shortage of medicines “heats up prices.” The situation is aggravated by the fact that 80% of pharmacies sell prescription drugs in the over-the-counter mode. In the letter, the OPI asks Rospotrebnadzor to take measures to put an end to drug shortages.
While pharmacies redirect any objections to drug manufacturers, experts believe that it is simply unprofitable for retailers to create stocks of VED (low-margin vital and essential drugs).
In October, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced that there was no shortage of medicines from COVID-19 in Russia.
