In Russia, diabetes patients complain about a glucagon shortage

Diabetes patients report a shortage of glucagon

People with diabetes in Russia are complaining about a shortage of a vital medication — glucagon, which is used when blood glucose drops sharply and a person cannot take fast-acting carbohydrates on their own. The newspaper Izvestia reports on the situation, as cited by Gazeta.Ru.

Scale of the problem

According to available information, in at least 33 regions patients face difficulties both in obtaining the medication through subsidized programs and in buying it at their own expense. Some patients are not even given a prescription despite having medical indications: according to patients, doctors explain this by the lack of glucagon and advise calling an ambulance in an emergency.

Availability and price

Obtaining the medication through subsidized programs takes from two weeks to several months. Glucagon can still be bought for cash only in certain pharmacies in Moscow and Moscow Region, St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region, as well as Astrakhan and Kaluga Regions. Meanwhile, its price has risen from 700 rubles to 14,000 rubles — that is, roughly twentyfold.

Possible causes

According to experts, the shortage may be caused by failed procurement: buyers are ready to purchase the medication, but suppliers are not entering the bidding. Another possible cause is the re-registration of glucagon. The publication does not specify what exactly is happening with supplies or when the shortage will be resolved. Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Health reported a 'non-infectious pandemic' of diabetes, and in early October, following St. Petersburg, pharmacies in Moscow also ran out of the anti-anxiety medication Atarax — these events point to a backdrop of problems with medication availability, but sources do not draw a direct connection between them.