Russia: Drug shortages are starting to appear in pharmacies

Pharmacy Association attributes insulin shortages to tremendous increase in demand from Russian consumers

Shortages of insulin and other foreign-made diabetes drugs are already being seen in Russian pharmacies, according to a report in the Kommersant newspaper today, citing a shortage of raw materials in medicine.

Russia's Federal Pharmacovigilance Service (Roszdravnadzor) and the Association of Pharmacies attribute insulin shortages to the rapid increase in demand from Russian consumers, noting that most diabetic medicines are manufactured in Russia and there is no reason to Kommersant article.

Patients interviewed by the Russian media explain in turn that this extraordinary increase in demand is due to the fact that the rest of the drugs used by diabetics are produced abroad and, consequently, in anticipation of shortages or high inflation, buy precautionarily.

Although Western sanctions do not target the pharmaceutical industry, Kommersant predicts that Russian companies are likely to find themselves without imported raw materials.

Europe has almost cut off exports

According to the Russian economic newspaper, Europe has almost stopped exports. Imports from China and India, which account for almost 80% of imported pharmaceutical raw materials, are lagging behind due to disruption of supply chains.

Russian stocks can last for three to six months.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia found itself almost without a pharmaceutical industry.

Long dependent on Western pharmaceutical companies, Russia has set up an import substitution program to become an exporting country. This policy has been fueled by sanctions and sanctions between the West and Russia.

However, Russian production continues to depend on the import of raw materials.

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