Flight Disruptions in India Make Antidepressant Supply Difficult

A Food and Drug Organization spokesperson responded to claims that medicines needed by special patients are being supplied at prices 10 to 20 percent lower, as well as the shortage of some antidepressants.

According to Ambassador Arjan, Mohammad Hashemi, the spokesperson of the Food and Drug Organization, in response to the supply of drugs, including drugs needed by special patients, at 10-20% lower prices said: the proposal to supply drugs at a lower price can be examined by an expert if valid documents are presented. But simply announcing lower prices, that too in the virtual space, does not prove the possibility of supplying the drug with the claimed conditions and will not in any way cause neglect or shortcoming of the legal, technical and quality requirements of the drug.

Mehr wrote in a news article: He added: The evaluation of this proposal requires the provision of a detailed list of drugs, manufacturers' specifications, country of origin, representative documents or supply contracts, valid pre-invoices, final price, payment conditions, and delivery time. Also, price comparison should be done for the same items and considering similar business conditions.

Emphasizing the necessity of verifying the authenticity and quality of medicines, this official stated: the validity of legal licenses, the possibility of stable and timely supply, and compliance with the requirements of transportation, storage and supply are also among the main criteria of the review; Especially in the case of medicines needed by certain patients, which are particularly important to have access to.

Provide documentation of unsuccessful follow-ups

Hashemi also said about the claim of several months of follow-up and its lack of results: We invite the person making such claims to provide the documents of the follow-ups, correspondence and official requests and details of the drug supply proposal to the specialized authorities of the Food and Drug Organization for expert review, so that while reviewing the follow-up process, the feasibility of the proposal and its compliance with legal, technical and quality requirements can be evaluated.

He emphasized: The Food and Drug Organization welcomes documented and reliable proposals to improve the drug supply process and reduce costs, and if the legal, technical and economic conditions are met, the possibility of using the proposed capacities will be investigated.

The reason for the lack of neuropsychiatric and anti-depressant drugs

The spokesperson of the Food and Drug Organization also stated about the supply status of some neuropsychiatric drugs, especially tricyclic antidepressants: a major part of neuropsychiatric drugs, especially tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), are in the psychotropic group or the green group under the supervision of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), and India is one of the most important suppliers of these items in the world.

He explained: After the start of the Ramadan war in March 1404 and the stoppage of direct flights from India to Iran, the transportation of cargo related to these drugs was limited. Also, the refusal of the Indian side to send these cargoes with Iranian planes made the supply process more difficult.

Hashemi added: Urgent imports and the use of indirect routes have been able to cover part of the country's needs, but these measures have not been enough to fully meet the needs. On the other hand, the higher cost of imported drugs has put additional pressure on patients.

In the end, he emphasized: the supply situation of these drugs is continuously monitored and the necessary measures are being taken to remove the existing restrictions and improve the process of their sustainable supply.