Supply of Essential Drug Compromised

19 January 2007

Supply of Essential Drug Compromised

Hospitals have run out of ampoules of adrenaline, which may put patient safety at risk, says the New Zealand Medical Association.

The sole supplier of ampoules of adrenaline 1:1000 injection under contract to Pharmac has run out of this medicine. Adrenaline is an essential drug used in emergency situations such as life-threatening allergic reaction and cardiac arrest.

NZMA Chairman Dr Ross Boswell said it was a major concern that such a situation could be allowed to happen in a first-world country.

"This situation has only arisen because of the Government's obsession to cheapen medical care by screwing down suppliers' prices with sole-supply contracts. The questions of patient safety and security of supply and should be given far more weighting than the current administration allows."

Dr Boswell said the proposed response to the problem may put patients at risk and loads a needless bureaucratic burden on to doctors and pharmacists.

The alternative supply of adrenaline that has been arranged is from an American source, where the drug is known as 'epinephrine', and so is labelled in that way.

"In an emergency situation, medical staff may not immediately recognise that the ampoules provided are indeed adrenaline, and treatment may be delayed," Dr Boswell said.

Also, because the alternative preparation is not 'approved' by the Ministry of Health, doctors are required under Section 29 of the Medicines Act to gain informed consent from patients and to report to the Ministry the names of patient and doctor on each occasion it is used.

"During an emergency doctors want to be helping patients rather than filling in forms. Patients' treatment should not be put at risk due to a policy failure of Pharmac and bureaucratic requirements of the Ministry of Health," said Dr Boswell.

ENDS

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