DA urges parliamentary probe into shortages of up to 50 critical medicines

The party wants Parliament’s Health Committee to examine the extent of the shortages, what is causing them and whether enough safeguards are in place for patients who rely on public hospitals and clinics for chronic and other essential medication.

DA asks Health Committee to convene special meeting

DA spokesperson on Health Michele Clarke said she had requested a special meeting of the Health Committee. She wants Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, the Department of Health, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, Pharmaceuticals Made In South Africa and the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa to appear before the committee.

The proposed meeting would allow lawmakers to seek a detailed briefing on which medicines are unavailable, how shortages are affecting patients and what steps are being taken to limit the risks created by interruptions or substitutions.

A parliamentary inquiry can also bring several parts of the medicine supply chain into the same discussion. That is important when availability is affected by more than one stage, from manufacturing and regulation to procurement, delivery and distribution between healthcare facilities.

Medicines named in the shortage concerns

The medicines identified by the DA include treatments for conditions ranging from high blood pressure and diabetes to mental health conditions, nerve pain and intestinal infections.

• Amlodipine, used to treat high blood pressure and prevent angina.
• Rosuvastatin, used to treat high cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Metformin, used to manage type 2 diabetes.
• Olanzapine, used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, particularly episodes of mania.
• Pregabalin, used to treat nerve pain, seizures and anxiety disorders.
• Mebendazole, used to treat intestinal worm infections.

The list covers medicines that patients may take over long periods as well as drugs used for specific conditions. For people managing chronic illness, an interruption can create uncertainty about what to take, when to take it and whether a replacement is clinically appropriate.

Warning over replacement medication

Clarke said switching patients to alternative medicines could carry risks. Some patients, she warned, might experience adverse reactions to replacement medication. She also highlighted the possibility that patients could become fearful of a substitute or confused by changes to their treatment and stop taking their medicine altogether.

“A considerable risk is that some patients might experience adverse reactions to the replacement medications, and an overarching risk that concerns the DA very much is that some patients might be fearful of replacement medication or confused by replacements and then stop their treatment,” Clarke said.

The concern is not limited to whether a medicine is physically available. A change in treatment may also require clear communication so that patients understand what they have been given and why it differs from their usual prescription. Where medicine supplies are disrupted, consistent information is an important part of protecting patients from avoidable confusion.

The DA wants the committee to establish what measures are being used to manage these risks and whether patients are receiving clinically appropriate alternatives when their usual medicine cannot be supplied.

Supply disruptions reported in Gauteng and Western Cape

Medicine supply disruptions have also been reported in Gauteng and the Western Cape, although the challenges described in the two provinces differ.

In Gauteng, shortages at public hospitals and clinics have been linked to supplier delays, procurement lead times, changes to medicine contracts and broader supply-chain pressures. The provincial health department has said it is moving available stock between facilities, sourcing medicines from alternative approved suppliers and providing clinically appropriate alternatives where necessary.

Moving stock between facilities can help direct limited supplies to areas where they are most urgently needed. However, it also underlines why the Health Committee is being asked to examine the wider system, including procurement timing, supplier performance and the availability of medicines across different facilities.

In the Western Cape, provincial health authorities have called for national intervention over persistent medicine shortages. The reported challenges include manufacturing and regulatory issues, import and customs delays, as well as delays in testing and releasing medicines.

These issues point to the number of steps involved before a medicine reaches a patient. A delay at any one stage can affect the final supply available at a hospital or clinic, making it important to identify where interruptions are occurring and how they can be addressed.

DA wants local manufacturing examined

The DA also wants Parliament to investigate claims about the effect of regulation and medicine pricing arrangements on local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

According to the party, it has received reports that some local pharmaceutical manufacturers blame new SAHPRA regulations and the single exit price for contributing to a decline in local pharmaceutical manufacturing. Clarke said the issue should be examined because the condition of the local manufacturing industry could affect medication availability.

The single exit price is the regulated price at which manufacturers and importers sell medicines in South Africa’s private sector. It does not apply to medicines supplied to the state.

Because the single exit price does not apply to state-supplied medicines, the proposed investigation would need to distinguish between issues affecting the public procurement system and those affecting the private-sector pricing framework. The DA’s request is for Parliament to establish how the different factors relate to the reported shortages.

What the proposed probe would examine

The DA wants the Health Committee to receive a comprehensive briefing covering:

• the causes of the medicine shortages;
• the impact on patients;
• the full list of unavailable medicines;
• the steps being taken to reduce health risks; and
• the role of manufacturing, regulation, procurement and supply-chain pressures.

At the centre of the party’s request is the reliability of public healthcare services for people who depend on critical and chronic medication. A shortage can create pressure for healthcare workers, patients and families, particularly when treatment has to be changed or obtained through another facility.

“The DA believes that the people of South Africa who rely on the public healthcare system for critical and chronic medication should be able to rely on it without exception,” Clarke said.

The requested parliamentary process would give lawmakers an opportunity to seek answers from the health authorities, regulators and industry bodies involved. It would also place the reported shortages, their causes and the response to patient safety concerns under formal scrutiny.