Enalapril medicine out of stock at major government health facilities

Enalapril, which is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure is currently out of stock at major government health facilities around the country.

We are getting reports from the ground that this medicine which is under government’s Free Medicine Scheme and is imported from India may be available at government pharmacies at the end of April.

Fijivillage contacted CWM Hospital, Nausori Health Centre, Lautoka Hospital and Labasa Hospital and their pharmacies have confirmed that they have run out of stock.

When contacted, the Acting Head of Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Services, Jeremaia Mataika referred all questions to the Media Liaison Officer at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

We have sent questions to the Ministry of Health.

We have also contacted some private pharmacies who say that they have this medicine but not in all strengths.

One private pharmacy is selling a 5mg Enalapril card for $2.60 while another private pharmacy has told us that they are selling 10mg Enalapril tablets for $11.95 which is for 100 pieces.

Superdrug Pharmacy Limited has told us that the government has stopped providing them with medicines that come under the Free Medicine Scheme that they were distributing to the recipients for free. They say this was stopped more than a year ago.

Meanwhile, according to the Guardian, the COVID-19 outbreak has led India to restrict the export of dozens of drugs including paracetamol and various antibiotics, leading to fears of a global shortage of essential medicines.

It says concerns over supply chain shortages led the Indian government to place limits on the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients and the medicines and vitamins made from them.

The restricted drugs include paracetamol, antibiotics such as tinidazole and erythromycin, the hormone progesterone, which is used in the contraceptive pill, and and vitamins B12, B1 and B6. The drugs account for 10% of all India’s pharmaceutical exports.

India is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of drugs, with the US and Europe heavily reliant on the supply.

We have also sent questions to Ministry of Health and Medical Services in this regard as to how they will cope with this situation.