UNIFARM and Romanian College of Physicians launch medicine shortage reporting system

The Romanian College of Physicians (CMR) and UNIFARM have launched a new early warning system to address shortages of essential medicines in Romania. The initiative aims to prevent interruptions in patient treatment by creating a direct communication channel between medical professionals and the pharmaceutical distributor.

Under this system, doctors can report unavailable medications via a dedicated email address. The CMR will then forward these requests to UNIFARM, which will verify if the shortage is a local hospital supply issue or a genuine national market deficiency. If a medication is confirmed to be unavailable, UNIFARM will coordinate with the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices and the Ministry of Health to initiate legal procedures, such as Special Needs Authorizations, to secure the necessary supplies.

Adrian Marius Dobre, Director General of UNIFARM, stated that the system is designed to reduce the time it takes to bring essential drugs to market and to improve patient access. CMR President Cătălina Poiană emphasized the urgency of the matter, particularly in fields like oncology, where treatment continuity is critical to patient survival.