What medicines are in short supply in Colombia?

Colombia is facing a persistent crisis in the supply of medicines, a situation that affects patients with chronic and rare diseases. Francisco Rossi, director of the National Institute for the Surveillance of Medicines and Food (Invima), confirmed the situation on Thursday, highlighting that the number of drugs in short supply fluctuates between 10 and 12, although some problems are being resolved every day.

According to Rossi, the shortage has not exceeded these historic figures and is due to multiple factors. “Some problems are due to the production of raw materials, others to regulatory issues, problems in the supply chains and even commercial interests,” he explained in an interview with Caracol Radio.

Although Invima has been working to resolve the backlog of procedures, there are structural causes that still need to be addressed.

To address this problem, Invima has implemented a new information and reporting system that allows for constant monitoring of supply problems and facilitates faster resolution.

On July 5, Invima and the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia (Andi) signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to improve management of procedures related to medicines and food.

Medicines in Short Supply: What Are They?

Invima has published an updated list of medicines in short supply. Among the most critical are:

1. Chloroquine (0.667/100mL solution): Lack of bidders.
2. Clozapine (25mg tablets): Logistical difficulties and shortage of supplies.
3. Phenytoin (oral suspension 25 mg/mL): Insufficient bidders.
4. Ioversol (injectable solution 300mg/mL, 320mg/mL and 350mg/mL): Impact due to price controls and low demand.
5. Methylphenidate (10 mg tablet): Logistical difficulties, shortage of supplies and problems in acquiring the active ingredient.
6. Nevirapine (50 mg/5 ml oral suspension): Price control and shortage of raw materials.
7. Oxycodone (10mg/mL injectable solution): Long delivery times from the manufacturer.
8. Pipotiazine (25mg/1ml injectable solution): Shortage of raw materials.
9. Remifentanil (powder to reconstitute 2mg/ml): Lack of suppliers and unexpected excess demand.
10. Semaglutide (1.34mg solution for injection): Unexpected overdemand at a global level.
11. Somatropin (injectable solution 10mg/1.5ml and 15mg/1.5ml): High levels of demand.