The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Nuevo León (NL) asks doctors, through WhatsApp, not to prescribe out-of-stock medicines; this in order not to affect the official figures on unfilled prescriptions.
According to the Reforma newspaper, doctors receive daily instructions not to prescribe drugs that they do not have in stock; this while the IMSS-NL rejects the complaints of drug shortages and ensures that it fills 98.7 percent of the prescriptions.
Reforma points out that the lists with exhausted keys are sent to their direct bosses through WhatsApp messages.
“I ask you not to issue prescriptions for drugs that are out of stock or non-existent in the pharmacy,” says a message from the Cardiopediatric Service of Hospital 34; “Since this negatively impacts performance, they are recorded as non-stocked.”
“They tell us ‘don’t prescribe them,'” a doctor from Hospital de Cardiología 34 told Reforma.
Likewise, doctors from clinics and hospitals in the Monterrey metropolitan area accused that the official figures are made up and are false.
In the same sense, specialists from IMSS hospitals 6, 25 and 33 confirmed this practice; They pointed out that it would be general in the Institute and that the shortage has been going on for at least two years.
“They don’t want to buy supplies because they save money, but patients do poorly and die,” said one specialist, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.
The Reforma newspaper indicates that among the medications that Clinic 34 asks not to prescribe are sacubitril-valsartan, indicated for heart failure; aminocaproic acid, to control bleeding in heart operations; and sildenafil, for pulmonary hypertension.
The doctors stressed that these three medicines are essential and cannot be replaced. (With information from the Other Opinion)
