Specific brands of medicines used to manage flu symptoms were reported to be out of stock in the past few days. Long queues were seen outside drugstores as people tried to secure medicines for fever, colds, and cough.
The hike in demand could be attributed to the heightened vigilance against the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Moreso, it could be due to the spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) assures the public that there is sufficient inventory. Anticipating a surge, PHAP member companies early this month, airlifted paracetamol and flu medicines to augment current stocks in the country.
On Jan. 10, the country recorded more than 33,000 fresh cases from a flat COVID-19 case trend in early December. On the same day, the OCTA Research group said the positivity rate in Metro Manila exceeded 50% (the World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate of 5% before reopening). OCTA predicted correctly that the country would record more than 20,000 new infections daily by Jan. 7.
The temporary shortage of certain brands of paracetamol is enough to cause difficulties for patients and their families. This emphasizes the need to work on the pharmaceutical supply security in the country, including those for COVID-related medicines.
Since the pandemic began, PHAP members have been working to make both COVID and non-COVID medicines available to Filipinos during these challenging times. PHAP is closely coordinating with the government on pharmaceutical security, and provided recommendations to ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines in the country.
The Food and Drug Administration has been working hard in reviewing and granting Emergency Use Approval (EUA) for medicines for use in mild, severe, and critical COVID-19 cases. Their work has been crucial in providing treatment options to medical practitioners, and choices for patients whether they are at government or private facilities.
Urgent discussions must also be initiated especially for medicines that have been granted EUAs by international health agencies. Candidate medicines that have promising outcomes must also be closely monitored.
Moreover, proactive supply planning for procurement, negotiation and stockpiling depending on the country’s need must be given attention. Firm forecasts with guaranteed contracts to secure allocation will be important if we are to have these new medicines available amid global demand.
Teodoro B. Padilla is the executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), which represents the biopharmaceutical medicines and vaccines industry in the country. Its members are at the forefront of research and development efforts for COVID-19 and other diseases that affect Filipinos.
