Issues at Ministry of Health’s Drug Warehouse Highlighted in Parliament
In a recent parliamentary session, Elena Panagiotopoulou, the director of pharmaceutical services, shed light on longstanding issues at the Ministry of Health’s drug warehouse. A note from a 2019 inspection, which Panagiotopoulou read aloud, detailed several deficiencies including roof problems that could potentially allow rainwater to compromise the facility.
The warehouse, which is responsible for storing specialized medicines for the Health Insurance Organisation and the State Health Services Organisation, as well as medications for patients under the Named Patient Commission, faced a significant setback. Following a storm on March 18 in Nicosia, it was reported that thousands of medications were destroyed due to the warehouse’s vulnerabilities.
Further compounding the issue, the note outlined additional concerns such as the absence of a temperature monitoring system, general disorder, unprotected areas, and entrances that permitted uncontrolled access. These factors contribute to an environment that is less than ideal for the storage of sensitive pharmaceuticals.
Panagiotopoulou also highlighted a lapse in regulatory compliance, noting that since the initial inspection in 2019, no subsequent inspections had been conducted. This was attributed to the lack of an official invitation from the competent authority, which is a prerequisite by legislation for such inspections to take place. She emphasized the gravity of the situation by stating that failure to adhere to guidelines could have led to police intervention and closure of the warehouses.
During the pandemic, the drug warehouse gained attention as Health Ministers visited and held meetings to showcase vaccines. Despite this high-profile engagement, underlying issues remained unaddressed.
The revelations in parliament underscore the urgent need for remedial action to safeguard the integrity of the nation’s pharmaceutical storage facilities. As the session continues, stakeholders await decisive steps to rectify these critical infrastructural and procedural shortcomings.
