Cancer drug shortage grows

Anastrozole, exemestane, letrozole, capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and temozolamide are out of stock. Patients are once again reporting shortages of oncology medications , supplies, and antibiotics at various public hospitals in the city. According to civil society organizations, about twenty drugs are unavailable at the Jalisco Cancer Institute and the Civil Hospital.

Bleomycin, Dacarbazine, Axitinib, Cisplatin and Paclitaxel are missing.

During a visit to the Cancer Institute, patients confirmed that they have occasionally had to buy medication. "I come from Autlán, and they gave it to me there, but here I had to buy it: it cost me 1,070 pesos," said Luz Guerrero.

Patient María García confirmed: "Since the last administration, there's no more money for chemotherapy. We have to buy it... and the drugs cost 10,000 pesos... at least."

Pazopanib, Cetuximab, Nivolumab, Pertuzumab and Tamoxifen are also required.

Alejandro Barbosa, president of the Red Nose Association, lamented that the population is the most affected. He explained that there is no exact number of affected patients. “We understand there is a supply problem at the federal level. Unfortunately, the efforts of the Jalisco government, led by Governor Pablo Lemus, have not been able to cover the shortage of medications,” due to federal noncompliance. Faced with the shortage, patients must obtain their medications on their own. “We are helping patients who do not have the resources to purchase these medications, to pay for tests and supplies, or to rent equipment for surgical procedures.”

State Health Secretary Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez confirmed that Jalisco would receive the cancer medications , but the delivery from the Federation was delayed again.

Hugo Bravo, Director of Health Services in Jalisco, acknowledged the shortage and explained that the medicines purchased by the state government are already running out. “We hoped to cover two or three months, but unfortunately, the federal bidding process fell through again, and we were left uncovered once again. We are working on projects so that people, both children and adults, are not affected by their cancer treatments.”

Meanwhile, patients struggle to obtain medications. “We buy them and look for the cheapest,” added Alberto, who brought his wife to the Cancer Institute for medical care.

Sandostatin, Eltrombopag, Hydrea, Dasatinib, and Abiraterone, among others, are added to the list of hospitals with varying degrees of shortage.

Esperanza Robles, whose father was hospitalized last week, explained that she spent more than six thousand pesos on medications because they weren't available.

"In many cases, patients are left without care because there is no medication. This puts the effectiveness of the medical protocol at risk and, most seriously, the patient's life," added Alejandro Barbosa, who emphasized that the problem will be resolved when a national supply is achieved through a Mexican supplier, since currently most medications are imported.

Claudia Sheinbaum announced last April the emergency purchase of medicines that would be distributed to IMSS-Bienestar hospitals , due to the delay in delivery caused by overpriced sales at Birmex .

He assured that the problem would be resolved by the end of May, but it persists.

CT