Psychiatric medicine shortages disrupt patients in Gauteng

9 March 2020

Psychiatric patients in Gauteng have suffered over the past year from shortages of nine drugs due mostly to manufacturing constraints and tender issues.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

The medicines in short supply include three anti-depressants, three anti-psychotics, and two epilepsy treatments.

According to Masuku, although the items were out of stock “the suppliers were delivering limited quantities which were evenly distributed to the facilities. Patients were given limited quantities so that they do not go home without medication. Where there are alternatives patients were given the alternative medication.”

Masuku claims that the impact on treatment of patients was “minimal”. I disagree as I have had many complaints from psychiatric patients that they had adverse reactions from the switching of medicines and sometimes ran out of medicines for a period of time.

It is unfortunate that Gauteng is dependent on national health tenders for psychiatric drugs as they are often badly handled.

The Gauteng Health Department needs to be more nimble in finding alternative suppliers to ensure that there is always a full range of drugs for vulnerable psychiatric patients.

Issued by Jack Bloom, Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 9 March 2020