Buprenorphine shortage irks patients at OOAT centres

Tribune News Service

Tarn Taran, March 4

As buprenorphine tablets went out of stock at outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres in the district on Monday evening, Health Department employees had to face the ire of agitated opioid addicts. However, the supply was resumed by noon on Wednesday.

The opioid-addicted patients locked the gates of Community Health Centres (CHC) at Sursing and raised slogans against the authorities. The health officials stated that similar problem was witnessed at other OOAT centres.

The patients accused the authorities of deliberately stopping the supply. Senior Medical Officer Dr Kanwar Harjot Singh said, “We have a hard time convincing that the samples of buprenorphine stock has been sent for testing at Verka warehouse as it cannot release medicine until report is received from Kharar.”

With 10 OOAT centres and around 13,000 registered patients, the district has a daily average consumption of 18,000 tablets. The warehouse issues the stock of three days to the centres at one time.

Civil Surgeon Anoop Kumar said, “As per norms, testing of the new stock of medicine is mandatory and as such there has been a delay in getting the supply.” He said the supply was restored at all centres today. He said the staff had to face problems at OOAT centres and cops were deployed in view of the situation.

Dr Kumar said they had also requested the higher-ups to issue medicine of seven days instead of three. “We are also going to ensure that demand for medicine is put up a week in advance,” he said that as drug addiction problem is comparatively higher in this border belt, the daily consumption of medicines is higher.