KCUS has no cytostatics

(Patria) - The Oncology Clinic of KCUS treats the most severe oncological patients from the FBiH area, for whose treatment modern oncological protocols are applied, requiring modern and expensive drugs - cytostatics.

Unfortunately, we are currently facing a problem with the shortage of certain medications, due to which we are temporarily unable to provide continuous therapy to oncological patients, but KCUS is doing everything in its power to resolve this problem.

We note that KCUS does not procure cytostatics, but the procurement and payment of these, often extremely expensive and rare drugs, is within the jurisdiction of the Federal Health Insurance and Reinsurance Fund of FBiH.

The Clinical Pharmacy of KCUS, based on the requests from clinics applying oncological drugs, submits the needs for cytostatics to the ZZORFBiH, which is responsible for the procurement of cytostatics itself.

ZZORFBiH, after the public procurement procedure, carries out continuous procurement based on signed contracts with suppliers.

Manufacturers and suppliers of cytostatics often have a shortage of drugs on the global market, and thus the delivery to FBiH, and consequently to KCUS, is delayed. From all of the above, it is clear that the shortage of cytostatics is a chronic, multi-layered problem.

The Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo always undertakes all activities within its duties and obligations, respecting the given deadlines, so that there is no shortage of medicines at any time.

In accordance with legal and valid regulations, we expect the delivery of necessary medicines, and we are convinced that ZZORFBiH has a valid reason for the shortage of cytostatics, and that they are making maximum efforts to procure all necessary medicines and cytostatics as soon as possible.

We are currently experiencing a shortage of the following cytostatics:

• Methotrexate amp.

• Alimta amp.

• Irinotecan amp.

• BCG amp. and

• Taxol amp.

KCUS has undertaken all actions within its jurisdiction to overcome the existing difficulties as soon as possible. Unfortunately, our capabilities are limited because we are only a part of the healthcare system.

We also want to emphasize that negotiations and expert consultations are underway regarding the problems of the healthcare system, especially the problems of procuring medicines and cytostatics, in order to solve them systematically", announced the KCUS Press Office.