Pharmaceutical Sector Rationing Stocks Due To Drug Shortages

The pharmaceutical sector has raised alarm at the inadequate foreign currency allocated to the sector by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe saying that stocks of drugs have depleted to unsustainable levels. Pharmaceutical Wholesalers’ Association (PWA) chairperson Valerie Musere told The Standard,

The situation is not improving much resulting in wholesalers having to ration stock in order to remain viable and manage the situation. The outstanding balances up to the end of June 2018 stand at $25 million…The last allocations were done in May. Second quarter allocations were about half of the first quarter (about $8 million vs $15 million). As an industry, we would benefit much if the central bank were to constantly supply foreign currency at $4 million weekly as per promise.

Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe president Portifa Mwendera added,

It’s sad to note that we have not had much joy from the RBZ in terms of forex allocation to service the arrears.

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More: The Standard