Pharmacists say tendering behind drug shortages

Potentially fatal shortages of some prescription drugs are partly caused by the Government drug-buying agency Pharmac's tendering process, the pharmacy guild says.

President Richard Heslop said the tendering process was linked to shortages of several drugs.

Drug companies who missed out in the tendering process "normally stop importing the drug because usage (of their product) drops so sharply," he said.

The Pharmac tendering process had "screwed down" drug companies' profits, causing some to pull out of New Zealand, others to downsize, and some to reduce the amount of drug stock on hand.

"I mean no one would advocate that Pharmac should give up and let there be open slather, but it does appear that they (the drug companies) have been screwed down that hard that they're taking these actions," Mr Heslop told National Radio today.

His comments come after pre-Christmas drug shortages. They included blood pressure and heart failure drug Betaloc; anti-epilepsy treatment Dilantin; kidney dialysis drugs; the antibiotic Augmentin; hayfever relief tablet Loratabs; and liquid iron supplement Fergon elixir.

"It is very dangerous in some circumstances... In other cases it's inconvenient. But if it carries on and the type of product that it's happening to, it's potentially fatal."

- NZPA