(Jamaica Observer) A shortage of two antiretrovirals (ARVs) to treat persons infected with HIV has resulted in rationing of the medication with persons only being able to receive a week’s supply of the life-saving drug instead of the monthly dosage or none at all.
The drugs which are said to be in short supply are Lopinavir/Reponivir, the generic forms of Alluvia, and Entracitabine/Tenofovir, the generic forms of Truvada.
Tony Hron, programme development manager at Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, told the Observer that the organisation’s clients have been complaining since last November that they have not been able to get the drugs at some public pharmacies.
“These drugs are central because persons who have been prescribed those ARVs have a strict regime and you may only miss one dose for the month,” he said. According to Hron, failure to comply with this regiment will result in a rebound of the virus.
“These drugs require 90 to 95 per cent adherence,” he told the Observer.
Head of the National HIV/STI programme, Dr Kevin Harvey admitted that there has been a rationing of the drug Lopinavir but said persons should begin receiving full supplies by next month.
“The stock is still not up to where it should be but we are hoping another supply will come in February, and so by the end of February everyone would be able to get their full supply,” Harvey explained.
He told the Observer that the inclement weather in the United States and Europe, which saw the grounding of a number of flights, caused a marked delay in the arrival of the drugs from India last November and December.
“In December, the airline refused to take the large cargo so we had a shortage of lopinavir,” Harvey said.
He said in order to prevent persons from running out of the drug totally, a decision was taken to ration the supplies to weekly instead of monthly dosages.
