Shortage of drugs for Covid treatment hits Kolkata pharmacies – Times of India

Many people have started stocking necessary medicines at home

KOLKATA: Even as the supply of a few medicines and supplements has improved in Kolkata, there is still a shortage of some antibiotics like doxycycline that is being prescribed by doctors for Covid-19 treatment. The shortage of antiviral drugs like favipiravir has also hit the city pharmacies.
Doxycycline started witnessing the shortage since last month. Drug manufacturers have already voiced their concerns to the central government over the increase in prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients or raw materials of certain key Covid drugs. They had also apprehended a shortage of certain drugs including doxycycline in the next few months.
“We are seeing a sudden spike in demand for doxycycline and it is going off the shelf overnight,” said Sajal Ganguly, general secretary of the Bengal Chemist and Druggists’ Association (BCDA). “Our members are not getting adequate supply of certain drugs including doxycycline,” he added.
“Many of the doctors are prescribing doxycycline for Covid-19 patients in the home isolation,” said Subir Sen, north Kolkata district secretary of the BCDA. Sanjay Mukim a wholesaler at the Mehta Building said that shortage of doxycycline is continuing over the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, the shortage is witnessed in certain other drugs like favipiravir that have lesser usage in Covid management. The antiviral medicine, approved by the Drugs Controller General of India for treating mild to moderate Covid-19 patients, however, is not being prescribed much as compared to last year. The trouble with the multivitamin, vitamin C and zinc tablets started after people began stocking up medicines again.