Tonga’s National Drugs and Medical Supplies Committee (NDMSC) met on Wednesday after concerns over late arrival of shipment of some diabetes drugs in the kingdom.
The shipment of nifedipine drugs was behind schedule.
Nifedipine is a medication used to treat angina and high blood pressure.
The meeting confirmed there was “a range of other stock options to ensure continued supply” of these drugs, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Health told Kaniva News.
It said the hospital’s pharmacies “have lots of amlodipine in stock which can easily replace nifedipineâ€.
The meeting was told other diabetes drugs that had been run out such as metformin “are already in stockâ€.
Metformin is used to treat type 2 diabetes.
The Ministry denied reports on local media that the supply shortage could continue until July when the government’s new budget approved.
“That does not make sense and the Ministry has already had other options in place and it can reorder the stock to be sent by plane if the ship arrival will take longer than expectedâ€, the spokesperson said.
NDMSC said they “have advised pharmacy people to advise media and clinicians of situation of drugs in stockâ€.
