The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority has allayed fear of a shortage of inhalers in the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, Kemsa CEO Andrew Mulwa said the supply challenge which was experienced in January had since been resolved.
Inhalers are the safest, most effective treatment for asthma. They allow people with asthma to lead a normal, active life.
Mulwa acknowledged that there had been a stock out of Ventolin, a brand of inhalers due to what he termed as changes in regulatory processes.
“In January, we had a challenge in the supply of Ventolin, a specific brand of asthma inhalers in the country as a result of the regulatory framework,” Mulwa said.
“We have been able to restore our supplies for asthma drugs in Kemsa, it was a market challenge, which was affecting us because the supplier could not get us the Ventolin because there were few changes in the regulatory framework but we have been able to have the inhalers in stock,” he reaffirmed.
Drug importers blamed the government’s single payment system for the shortage of asthma inhalers and other key drugs.
The Kenya Pharmaceutical Distributors Association attributed the shortage to the government’s single, newly designated Paybill Number, 222222.
The popular Ventolin inhaler, made by GSK, was completely unavailable.
Other Salbutamol inhaler brands are in short supply and have become expensive with the cost shooting to Sh500 from the original price of Sh250.
Speaking on the matter, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha blamed the reported shortage of inhalers in the country on failures in the supply chain system.
She, however, noted that Salbutamol inhaler brands are in stock at Kemsa.
“At Kemsa, we have the Salbutamol inhaler, which then goes to public facilities, so I am not sure what private facilities are doing but good practice is that they should have the alternative, which is the Salbutamol inhaler that is available in the market,” the CS said.
The CS said that currently the fill rate at Kemsa is 68 per cent but the counties have a responsibility to ensure that they order supplies so that the facilities are stocked at all times.
Inhalers are the most common asthma treatment, which delivers medication directly to the lungs.
They are small, handheld devices that allow you to breathe medicine in through your mouth, directly to your lungs.
Inhalers can help control the disease and enable people with asthma to enjoy a normal, active life.
According to the World Health Organisation, asthma is a major non-communicable disease, affecting both children and adults, but is the most common chronic disease among children.
It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which makes it harder for a person to breathe.
