Denada Jushi
"I run from one pharmacy to another, even though I'm 78 years old, looking for blood pressure medication; sometimes I can't find it and the pharmacists want to give me similar ones, and sometimes they're late when I order them," a citizen near 21 December tells us.
But why are there no medicines today?
In Albania, the problem of medical medications is not only found in pharmacies, but often also in hospitals.
Shortage, but in some cases citizens also face the trade of expired medicines and uncertainties about their quality.
Clearly, this system in the country lacks control and transparency.
This problem was also clearly reflected at the National Pharmaceutical Conference, recently held in Tirana, where discussions took place. On the one hand, the government articulated its commitment to reform and modernize the sector, while on the other hand, market actors raised concerns about the lack of transparency and centralized decision-making that, according to them, is causing harm to a delicate sector.
Further, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry brought concrete examples of these issues, based on their experience.
One of them is related to the way in which drug prices are determined and lists are updated, processes that, according to them, take place without consultation and without sufficient information for them.
Another case is the inclusion of over-the-counter drugs in the price control list, which they said was unusual. This has led to the withdrawal of several well-known brands from the market, creating gaps in supply, they said.
The statement that Albanian citizens are forced to order paracetamol or ibuprofen from abroad through friends or relatives is not simply their wish, but due to the fact that they do not behave in Albania.
The problems are not limited to prices and supply. Audit data shows an even more worrying situation.
Raportet e Kontrollit të Lartë të Shtetit, over the years, evidentojnë se mbi 102 mijë njësi ilaçesh të skaduara kanë hyrë në treg, duke rrezikuar drejtpërdrejt shëndetin e pacientëve. Po ashtu, janë konstatuar raste të shpërndarjes së medikamenteve spitalore në treg, duke treguar mungesë kontrolli në zinxhirin e furnizimit dhe përfshirje në listat e rimbursimit të ilaçeve pa çmim të miratuar apo pa kontrata furnizimi.
According to the findings of Raportit të Auditimit Financiar dhe të Përputhshmërisë në Fondin e Sigurimit të Detyrueshëm të Kujdesit Shëndetësor, KLSH ka evidentuar dobësi serioze në mbikëqyrjen e zinxhirit farmaceutik, që prekin si furnizimin e qytetarëve, ashtu edhe mbrojtjen e fondeve publike.
Në disa depo farmaceutike janë konstatuar mijëra njësi barnash të skaduara prej më shumë se një viti, me vlera që arrijnë në dhjetëra milionë lekë. Sipas raportit, procedurat për asgjësimin e tyre nuk janë ndjekur me dokumentacion të plotë, çka rrit rrezikun që barna të tilla të rikthehen në qarkullim ose të mos gjurmohen siç duhet.
Nga ana tjetër, auditimi evidentoi edhe mungesa konkrete të ilaçeve të rimbursueshme në farmaci. Për dhjetëra barna nuk rezultonin kontrata furnizimi me importuesit, ndërsa për disa të tjera janë raportuar probleme me rinovimin e licencave apo ndërprerje prodhimi. Në praktikë, kjo ka sjellë boshllëqe në treg dhe vështirësi për pacientët që varen nga trajtimet periodike.
KLSH ngre shqetësim edhe për kontrollet e pamjaftueshme ndaj depove farmaceutike, mospërputhje të konsiderueshme në inventarë dhe mungesë verifikimi në terren për rastet kur raportohen mungesa ilaçesh. Sipas audituesve, sistemi ka funksionuar më shumë mbi deklarime administrative sesa mbi kontrolle reale.
In this respect, the comparison with the countries of the European Union shows a lot of difference. In the EU countries, the pharmaceutical system is based on strong regulations, consultation with market actors and rigorous and absolute quality control at every link in the chain. Regulatory agencies operate independently and are subject to high safety standards.
While Albania has made steps towards approximation with European legislation, especially after the 2015 changes that liberalized the market, these reforms appear to have come without the necessary oversight mechanisms. Uncontrolled liberalization has paved the way for the entry of medicines from markets outside the EU, raising doubts about their quality and safety.
So it is unclear how long citizens will be "looking" for medicines, and above all, be sure that they are not expired.
But it is certain that we will continue to receive requests from relatives to at least get our medicines from the EU, since we are unable to create standards like the EU./acqj.al
