Natalia Vitela / Agencia Reforma
Thursday, May 11, 2023 | 17:56
Patients with mental illnesses who have been suffering since the beginning of the year due to the shortage of psychotropic drugs demanded that the health authorities did not have a plan B after the suspension of operations of Psicofarma.
In a protest at the Cofepris facilities in Colonia Nápoles, the dissatisfied accused that they have not given an answer or solution to their demands and there is even a lack of knowledge on the subject.
The patients also demanded a public apology from Alejandro Svarch and Hugo López Gatell, Cofepris commissioner and Undersecretary of Health, respectively, for the shortage.
“They do not solve anything. The people who spoke with us do not know the subject in depth and are the authorities that regulate it,” claimed Jorge Elías Téllez, who has depression and anxiety and receives medical attention at the National Institute of Psychiatry.
“We leave angry and without a solution. We came for an answer with people who we thought were educated on the subject.”
He indicated that he does not disagree that companies such as Psicofarma are regulated and reviewed, however, he reproached that the health authorities did not develop an emerging plan so that the shortage will not occur.
“Our main annoyance is that there are no alternatives. We are demanding a human right and we are angry because this authority did not think of a plan B. It is a movement rooted in the pain and anguish of patients who suffer this shortage,” he said.
The patients, who created the organization Medicines for Free Minds MX, have collected 38,527 signatures on change.org to demand a prompt solution from government authorities.
On April 20, they delivered 35,000 signatures and so far there has been no response.
Today patients also demonstrated in Baja California, Tlaxcala, Chihuahua, Sonora, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán and the State of Mexico.
buy drugs on the black market
Desperate due to the lack of psychotropic drugs, relatives have resorted to the black market to obtain the drugs, but on occasions they have been victims of scams.
Maribel de la Cruz Pacheco, who went to Cofepris today to demand that there be a supply of clozapine, a drug required by her son Hector, diagnosed with moderate-severe autism, paid 2,000 pesos for this medicine that an alleged doctor sold her via Facebook and the drug never arrived
“They pose as doctors, they ask us to deposit and they are pure scams. Out of desperation we have paid up to 2,000 pesos,” he said.
“In the hospitals they tell us that they don’t have when they will fill them up.”
Maribel warned that her son has experienced relapses due to the lack of this medication.
“He has had very serious relapses and can attack other people,” he said.
“20 days ago I bought (on the black market) and it worked. I had to take a risk. I did it through Facebook. It cost me 1,500. I checked the batch, the expiration date. It’s 100-milligram clozapine.”
Pilar Pérez, wife of Carlos Guerra, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, has also turned to the black market.
“We have been victims of fraud, they have deceived us, they have made us deposit and they have not given us the medicine,” he said.
“The last time it was 1,200 of the medicine, plus shipping costs that were supposed to come from Torreón and the medicine never arrived. We made the transfer and they blocked us.”
