By Karl Azzopardi
The Nationalist Party said it expects government to stop skimping on medicines following a MaltaToday report revealing concerns over free ADHD drugs.
鈥淚t is a well-known fact that in recent years the government has tried to economise on medicines by distributing generic drugs which are often less effective than the specific ones that used to be given previously,鈥 PN spokespersons Adrian Delia and Ian Vassallo said.
MaltaToday revealed how patients with ADHD, receiving free medication from the government, are unable to know the side effects since product leaflets are not in English.
Several parents of children with ADHD, and young adults who are themselves patients, have told MaltaToday that the patient information for the medicine Mefeda, a stimulant, being provided by the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme, is only available in Croatian.
The PN insisted Maltese law requires that medicines distributed to patients in Malta and Gozo must include all instructions and information in English.
鈥淲here are the authorities who are supposed to be monitoring the medicines distributed in our country, even by the Government itself, when these are not in line with regulations? Who is safeguarding the health of the Maltese people if the authorities tasked with doing so are failing?鈥 it questioned.
The spokespersons said this is not the only failure by the Government when it comes to medicines. 鈥淭he fact that patients are being given inferior drugs is leading many, pensioners among them, to have to pay out of pocket for the medication they need in order to care for their health properly. Many medicines are out-of-stock, with patients having to either wait and go without, or buy alternatives from pharmacies.鈥
It called on government to recognise what the real priorities are and to invest in the health of the Maltese people with concrete action, 鈥渘ot just billboards.鈥
鈥淭his government, which so proudly boasts about a strong economy, seems to find all the money it needs for its inner circle, but when it comes to the people鈥檚 health, it dithers,鈥 the statement read.