Photo: Christina Victoria Craft/Unsplash

By KELIN DILLON

Mexico City’s prescription drug drought, which began mid-2020, has continued its stay, leaving the country’s inhabitants with diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer without the vital medications to treat their illnesses.

Pharmacies have come up short on supply with drugs like vyvanse for treating attention deficit issues, mometasone and paramethasone for allergies, the antacid Riopan for stomach issues and tranquilizers like alprazolam.

Further medications missing in the capital are micardis for high blood pressure, tradjenta for diabetes, dimacol for cough and flu symptoms, and interferon used to treat scoliosis and some forms of cancer.

Many Mexicans have reported searching far and wide from pharmacy to pharmacy looking for a location that sells their necessary treatment, but to no avail.

“(Riopan) is a very, as I say, common medicine. You buy it by the box and now it is very rare, you can’t find it. I don’t know what’s going on, they don’t have the supply,” said Tania, who went on a hunt across the city for three consecutive days for the antacid, with no luck.

Head of the Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) Rubén Eugeni Alvarado Manríquez warned that many of the area’s general and regional hospitals, as well as ISSSTE clinics, are close to collapsing due to the long-term inadequate medication supply.

Rafael Gual, general director of the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (Canifarma), said much of the drought can be attributed to effects from the covid-19 pandemic, which shut down many raw material plants in Asia, contributing to the current supply problems.

…April 26, 2021