"There are no complaints", but the children are dying

142 Russian doctors called on the Ministry of Health to establish the purchase of drugs for cancer patients

On February 4, Russian oncologists turned to the Ministry of Health with a request to establish the purchase of imported drugs for children with cancer. According to the Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 142 specialists signed a collective letter. Last year, oncologists opposed the use of generics-drugs identical to a patented company-developer. They are produced and sold after the expiration of the patent and, according to doctors, have severe side effects.

In their appeal, oncologists asked the Ministry of Health to legislatively ensure uninterrupted supply to the hospitals of the necessary original drugs and consumables for cancer patients. It is proposed to purchase medicines for trade names. In addition, doctors insist on accelerated registration of vital and most important drugs with proven effectiveness.

Roszdravnadzor said that there were no complaints about unwanted reactions to generics, on the basis of which it would be possible to cancel their registration or suspend the application. And domestic developers and manufacturers of drugs, according to the Pharmaceutical Bulletin, believe that doctors "go for paints".

News turned for a commentary on the leading children's oncologist Alexei Maschan , Deputy Director of the Federal Center for Children's Hematology, Oncology and Immunology named after Dmitry Rogachev, who signed a collective treatment of doctors.

Alexey Maschan

Deputy Director of the Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology named after Dmitry Rogachev

"For so long everything has been silent!"

- In children's hematology and oncology, a large number of problems have accumulated, without which the further development of this area is impossible. Rather, it is possible only to move back. After a working meeting in late January, we formulated a resolution that was sent to the Ministry of Health. It covers all aspects of the state in which our specialty is now. We have identified problems that should be solved urgently.

In children's oncology, there are not a number of key drugs. There are formally necessary drugs on the market, but they are produced at all in the drug forms that we need. So far, nothing has changed, at least at the legislative level.

Another question is due to the fact that state institutions do not have the right to make mass purchases of drugs according to the so -called trading names [and not on international non -launched names]. The fact is that the same drugs that contain the same active substance are produced by different companies under completely different names. It can be original drugs and generics.

We should purchase either original drugs that have confirmed their good reputation for many decades, or the generics have proven themselves well. By this, we want to prevent the purchase of unverified drugs, which are not clear how we got to the market, to which there is no trust whose quality has not been confirmed.

No one is obliged to believe the developers and manufacturers for a word. This is about the same as if you stole 100 rubles from me, and I said about it, and you would have said that you did not steal. Developers should develop a drug, launch the market and provide its quality, but do not speak out about what wonderful drugs they have. Especially given that the development of drugs in Russia is practically not conducted. Basically, manufacturers are developing drugs with substances that are purchased in China or India.

Myths about the domestic farm are very embellished.

Roszdravnadzor is never looking for violations, because there is no legislatively prescribed procedure to control the drugs. They can check the drug for quality if someone directs the request. But it is checked only when there are side effects, and as for the effectiveness of the drug, Roszdravnadzor does not. Therefore, the supervisory service, gently in the words, does not say the whole truth.

It is not yet clear whether the situation with medicines will change in the near future - everything has been silent for so long. The problem cannot be solved in one day. Only if you cancel all the laws and acts that interfere with normal drug provision at once, and dismiss a number of people from the federal antimonopoly service. In particular, [the head of the control department of the social sphere and trade] Timofei Nizhny Novgorodtsev, one of the main “co -authors” of the drug crisis in which we found ourselves.

Now the Ministry of Health can take us to the allies if he wants to fight for really good drug security. Or can continue to hide the problem. So far, the department does not make either one or the other. At our last meeting, ex-minister Veronika Skvortsova finally understood the seriousness of the problem and even loudly stated that it was necessary to establish control and the quality of the drugs. While her follower, who is in the post for two weeks, had no time to figure out everything.

What can I do?
For example, to sign a petition that requires to consolidate the right of children with rare diseases for medical care in the Constitution.