Several medicines are out of stock and the government is keeping the full extent of the problem hidden, the Nationalist Party charged on Tuesday.
In a statement co-signed by three of its MPs, the PN listed five specific pharmaceuticals that are currently unavailable in pharmacies. They ranged from Novorapid, a replacement insulin used by diabetics, to eye pressure medicine Latanoprost and Creon, used to treat stomach-related issues and cystic fibrosis.
Several antibiotics are also out of stock, the party noted. Antibiotic shortages are currently being reported across Europe.
PN MPs Claudette Buttigieg, Ian Vassallo and Stephen Spiteri said it appears the government is trying to hide the extent of its problem, as it has not published a list of out of stock medications since November 7.
At the time, that list included around 25 medications that were out of stock, they said, not including the additional medicines listed in Tuesday’s press statement.
The PN said diabetes patients were among the most impacted by these shortages, given their reliance on insulin and the fact that shortages have been going on for at least a month.
The government, they added, had already let diabetes patients down by not fulfilling a promise to provide free continuous blood glucose monitors to patients aged up to 35. The PN is also pushing for parliament to establish a parliamentary committee focused solely on diabetes.
“The PN calls for more transparency and efficiency in the purchasing and distribution of medicines in our country, and for Robert Abela’s government to stop trying to hide serious problems and instead focus on patient wellbeing and quality of life,” the PN MPs said.
Medicines the PN reported as out of stock:
- Novorapid (Aspart): a replacement insulin
- Latanoprost: used to treat high pressure in the eye
- Galvus: used to control type 2 diabetes
- Goserelin Injection: used to treat prostate cancer
- Creon: used for various stomach-related conditions, including cancer and cystic fibrosis
- Various antibiotics