The Egyptian Drug Authority launched a service through its official website for all citizens to inquire about the availability of products in the pharmaceutical market, especially in the midst of shortages.
This service provides information about the drug that the patient is searching for, and then the relevant department of the EDA responds to the person submitting the inquiry.
Inquiries are submitted here.
The form includes the applicant’s data, name, phone number, and national ID number, as well as the data of the product in question – including the name of the product in Arabic and English, the scientific name, concentration, pharmaceutical form, and therapeutic purpose of the product, as well as a picture of the product or prescription.
In addition, the authority added that people can also communicate directly on the hotline 15301.
Incoming reports are treated with complete confidentiality and are fully protected by the EDA, including the inquirer’s data, and will not be disclosed under any circumstances.
The authority indicated that the service will operate 24 hours a day and that the line’s communication officials will record citizens’ inquiries about medicine shortages, and direct them to the nearest place to obtain the medicines they need or similar ones.
Drug shortage
The Head of the General Division of Drug Traders at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC) Ali Auf, said earlier this week that shortages of medicines are currently approaching a thousand items according to trade names.
Concerned authorities must intervene urgently to prevent the crisis from worsening, he urged.
“We warn that the pharmaceutical sector faces major challenges in pricing, which may lead to an unprecedented shortage of medicine, raising the suffering of the Egyptian patient, and thus may lead to an increase in smuggled and counterfeit medicines.”
