What medications are worth buying in advance. Doctor answers

Some global brands have left the Russian market, and there are fewer imported goods. Does this mean that medicines will start to disappear from pharmacy shelves and you need to stock up on medicines in advance?

Clinical geneticist, nutritionist, expert of the Academy of Physicians UniProf

A home first aid kit should be properly equipped. It is not necessary to make it a warehouse of medicines.

What medicines should be stocked?

First of all, these are the means that will be useful in case of household “accidents” (plasters, iodine, peroxide), as well as medicines for chronic diseases (such as diabetes, neurological problems). It will not be superfluous to always have on hand painkillers and remedies for colds, allergies, poisoning. It is not necessary to stock up on everything else.

Svetlana: According to representatives of the Ministry of Health, Russia currently has a sufficient stock of medicines, including vital drugs. In case of chronic diseases or if you need to take certain drugs that are not produced in Russia, a small stock will come in handy. At least, not to depend on sudden price changes, possible sanctions or delays in the supply of the medicines you need.

Look in your medicine cabinet and dispose of expired products. And only then make a decision to buy new ones. Particular attention should be paid to vital medicines that have no locally registered analogs – they are worth stocking up on. But there is no point in buying painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol. The same is true for drugs of similar action – on the recommendation of the attending physician, you can always switch to a similar treatment regimen.

Svetlana: Before running to the pharmacy, it is worth checking whether drugs with the necessary active ingredients are produced in Russia. You can do this on the website of the pharmaceutical directory “Vidal”. You need to type in the international nonproprietary name of the active ingredient you need in the drug (INN) and in the drop-down list see in which country the production is located. If the drug with this INN is not produced in the Russian Federation, ask your doctor for advice on whether you should buy the drug “in store” or whether it is better to find an analog.

Will there be a shortage of drugs?

expert in the field of drug registration

There is no need to fear a shortage. The transition to alternative raw material sources is simplified at the state level. Therefore, manufacturers will somehow be able to produce medicines as before. Let’s say, the raw materials will be not from Europe, but from India, in terms of basic quality parameters they coincide. In any case, patients will be able to buy the medicine they need.

The question may arise here: why is it not always possible to find the right drug in a pharmacy now? The fact is that many people gave in to panic and rushed to buy the necessary drugs “just in case”. Due to the frenzied demand for a number of products, some people were left without the drug they needed – but this is temporary. Analysts predict that the problems with medicines will be resolved within a few weeks, and the situation will stabilize no later than the second quarter of 2022.