health

Crucial drug runs short at CSS

David Mesa/La Prensa

shortage: Some patients who depend on an anticoagulant drug have obtained permission to purchase it outside the country. 1076919

A common anti-coagulant drug crucial to several medical treatments are out of stock at pharmacies with the Caja de Seguro Social (CSS) throughout the country.

Coumadin/Warfarin, manufactured by Bristol Myers-Squibb, is commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots in patients with circulatory disease or have recently undergone heart surgery.

Julissa Rodríguez, a vascular surgeon at Hospital Santo Tomás (HST), said that a patient taking this medicine can die if suddenly deprived of the drug. Each month, her department at HST treats about 30 patients with the drug, she added.

The same problem was reported at the Complejo Hospitalario Arnulfo Arias Madrid of the CSS, where the 250 patients of the outpatient cardiology clinic are prescribed the anticoagulant every month.

Rossina Navarro, with Relaciones Públicas for the CSS, reported that some patients have resorted to acquiring import permits and special permission from the Departamento de Farmacia y Droga del Ministerio de Salud to be able to purchase the medicine outside the country.

Departamento de Farmacia y Droga Director Eric Conte said the drug’s shortage may be linked to the shutting down of one of the company’s laboratories that supplies Panama and Central America, rerouting the orders through its headquarters in the United States.

Minsa officials commented that its specialists have not been prescribing Coumadin/Warfarin for the last couple of years, but did not mention which anticoagulant they had replaced it with.

Two alternative anti-clotting drugs include Acenocoumarol, marketed under the brand names Sintrom and Sinthrome; and Phenprocoumon, known as the brands Marcoumar, Marcumar and Falithrom.