Deliveries of the drug “Reseligo“ 3.6 mg are expected in pharmacies by October 16, after the drug has been missing from the pharmacy network for nearly a month. The importers have stated that they will provide at least 8,000 packages. NHIF has received information that sales have been temporarily suspended for production reasons, with the indicated date for their restoration being October 15, bTV reported.
“Reseligo“ contains goserelin and is administered once every 28 days as part of hormonal therapy in women with breast cancer. Patient Vesselina Lazeva says that the drug is necessary to suppress the action of female hormones and influence the disease.
„In this case, oncologists cannot help us because there is nothing to replace it with. And above all, the fear, the fear that the disease may return“, says Vesselina Lazeva.How the shortage came about
In August, the drug with the same active ingredient „Zoladex“ was excluded from the positive drug list. According to the NHIF, the change is in effect from August 2, and from August 16, the drug has also been deleted from the list of drugs that the fund pays for home treatment. The old electronic prescriptions could be fulfilled until August 31.
NHIF indicates that another product with the same international non-proprietary name and concentration remains on the positive list, but switching to it requires a new visit to a specialized oncology commission and the issuance of a new protocol.
According to Nikolay Kostov, Chairman of the Association of Pharmacy Owners, the increased demand for “Reseligo“ was sharp and was not foreseen.
“The other product – “Zoladex“, was basic, but it was dropped from the Health Insurance Fund. And they simply were not ready for such a sharp increase in demand“, commented Nikolay Kostov.What's next for patients
The importer indicated that “Reseligo“ should be available by October 16. The Ministry of Health added that delivery of “Zoladex“ is also planned for next week.
NHIF recommends that patients who cannot find their prescribed medication or whose next dose is approaching, contact their treating specialist or the specialized committee that issued the protocol. The fund specifies that the medical team must decide how to continue the therapy.