Medicine Shortages In South Africa: Epilepsy Drugs, Contraceptives And Antibiotics Affected

Patients across South Africa are facing growing concerns over medicine shortages, with several commonly used treatments reportedly difficult to obtain.

The medicines affected reportedly include epilepsy medication, folic acid, contraceptives and various antibiotics, with some products allegedly having been unavailable for months. The shortages have raised concerns among patients who depend on regular access to medication.

However, Pharmaceutical Task Group chairperson Dr Stavros Nicolaou says there is currently no reason for patients to panic, as manufacturers and government are working to manage the shortages.

Epilepsy Medication And Antibiotics Among Medicines Affected

The reported shortages involve medicines used to treat a range of health conditions, including epilepsy and infections.

Folic acid and contraceptives are also among the products reportedly affected, with some medicines said to have been out of stock for extended periods. The availability of individual medicines can vary between suppliers, pharmacies and healthcare facilities.

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“There are some shortages that are being managed,” Nicolaou says.

He said the pharmaceutical industry remained focused on ensuring that patients could access medicines while manufacturers dealt with pressures affecting production.

Why Are Medicine Shortages Happening In South Africa?

Manufacturing challenges are among the factors Nicolaou identified as contributing to medicine shortages in South Africa.

He said manufacturers were having to balance the cost of keeping production running with the need to maintain medicine supplies. Rising production expenses have added pressure to an industry already dealing with challenges across the supply chain.

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“As a manufacturing industry, our primary concern is always that patients have access to quality medicines,” says Nicolaou.

According to Nicolaou, production costs have risen significantly, partly because of the Middle East Gulf oil crisis. He said the cost of producing some medicines had increased by between 30% and 40%.

Medicine Production Costs Rise As Local Capacity Declines

Nicolaou said the pharmaceutical industry received a 1.4% increase in January, but that adjustment had not kept pace with rising production costs.

“The pharmaceutical industry got a 1.4 percent increase in January that has not kept pace with the increase in costs,” he adds.

Another factor is the closure of some manufacturing facilities because of compliance-related issues. Nicolaou also pointed to the loss of local manufacturing capacity as a longer-term challenge that has affected production volumes and disrupted medicine supply.

The pharmaceutical industry is engaging with government over the shortages, with efforts focused on managing supply challenges and ensuring patients continue to have access to essential medicines.