Thai FDA reports no national medicine shortage amid local supply gaps
A fact-finding report is expected within three days after a medicine shortage was confirmed at the Chiang Mai hospital, while the FDA reports no nationwide medicine shortage.
- The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed there is no nationwide shortage of general or at-risk medicines.
- Reports of medicine shortages are localized incidents at individual hospitals, such as one in Chiang Mai, which are being investigated.
- Authorities attribute these local supply gaps to hospital-specific management and financial problems rather than a failure in the national supply chain.
Dr Somruek Juengsaman, permanent secretary for public health, told reporters at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday (September 11, 2026) that the Ministry of Public Health was investigating social media reports of shortages of certain medicines at San Sai Hospital in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai’s provincial public health chief had reported that the hospital was indeed experiencing a medicine shortage, he said.
The ministry’s inspector-general had been instructed to send a fact-finding team, with its report expected within two or three days.
The cause would be considered after the inquiry.
Somruek also addressed concerns that overdue medicine bills at hospitals nationwide might be affecting deliveries and causing shortages.
He said most cases reported in the news stemmed from hospital management problems, citing the situation in Maha Sarakham as an example of an issue involving hospital executives.
Somruek said the overall financial position of hospitals had been addressed.
The number of hospitals classified at level 7 for financial difficulties had fallen from more than 140 last year to 82.
He referred to a meeting with inspectors-general from all health regions held on Thursday (September 10, 2026) concerning the THB5.45 billion in additional funding allocated to the inpatient system for fiscal 2026.
With one and a half months remaining before the end of the fiscal year, more money was left than had been forecast following joint management by an M&E Committee involving the ministry and the National Health Security Office (NHSO).
“After discussions with the inspectors-general, the remaining funds are likely to be redistributed to help hospitals with limited service capacity that are facing level 7 financial problems. In the next fiscal year, inpatient funding will total THB20 billion. Overall, hospital finances have improved, although management by executives at some hospitals may need to be reviewed,” Somruek said.
Supattra Boonserm, secretary-general of the FDA, addressed the overall national medicine situation, explaining that the agency oversaw medicines across healthcare facilities, factories, manufacturers and importers.
She confirmed that neither medicines in at-risk categories nor general medicines were in short supply nationwide.
Some specific medicines might run low at individual hospitals, but supplies could be borrowed or managed between hospitals.
Manufacturers and importers also continued to have supplies available, and Thailand was not facing a medicine shortage.
Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat also briefly addressed a separate case involving mould on a hospital wall in Phetchabun, stating that he had ordered the problem to be rectified.
