NHSO may run short of key heart drug

The government's main healthcare scheme is facing a shortage of tablets for heart disease, which will affect more than 50,000 patients suffering from the condition.
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) said it only has about 500,000 tablets of Clopidogrel in its stock, which would cover about 52,000 patients for two weeks, NHSO spokesperson Atthaporn Limpanyalert said. Heart disease patients need to take one tablet of Clopidogrel daily.
Realising the impending shortage, the NHSO held an urgent meeting with the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) yesterday. Atthaporn put the shortage down to mismanagement on the GPO’s side.
The NHSO had previously placed an order for 18 million tablets of Clopidogrel for this year, as it prescribes about a million of these tablets every month. GPO delivered the first batch of 6 million tablets in the first half of the year, but said it was unable to complete the order because India’s Emcure Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd, which supplied the drug to the GPO, had problems with the supply of raw materials.
Thailand imposed compulsory licensing for medication for heart-related diseases in 2007 and started importing the generic version from India.
“The Indian company did not provide any details about what kind of problem it is facing,” Atthaporn said, adding that the NHSO was discussing possible solutions with the GPO so the shortage does not affect hospitals and patients.
In fact, he said, Clopidogrel is available in the retail market, but at a higher price. In the worst-case scenario, if the GPO is unable to provide the medication, he said, hospitals will be advised to purchase the drug at retail price.
“We just hope this problem is resolved soon because we don’t have a plan B,” he said.
Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong said he has instructed GPO chairman Dr Pipat Yingseri to find out why the stocks have run out.
“Somebody needs to take responsibility for this problem,” he said.