Medicines totalling 45 million units obtained from the Staff Reserve Fund.
In the bustling city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, efforts are underway to ensure the continuous availability of high-demand pharmaceuticals and medical devices, particularly during peak illness periods. While specific, current policies and programs in Almaty were not immediately found, the city appears to be taking significant steps to improve its pharmaceutical sector, regulatory framework, and healthcare system capacity.
One of the key areas of focus is strengthening collaboration with pharmaceutical companies. Despite challenges in pharmaceutical safety monitoring due to inconsistent regulations, lack of funding, and poor enforcement, Kazakhstan is working towards clearer guidelines, mandated safety surveillance, and harmonized regulatory requirements. This collaboration aims to ensure better availability and safety of medicines, indirectly supporting shortage prevention.
Improving public health preparedness and supply chain resilience is another priority. Research highlights the importance of enhancing immunization and vaccine acceptance in Kazakhstan, signalling a broader effort to strengthen the national public health infrastructure.
Global and regional parallels provide a model for Kazakhstan to consider. For instance, the European Union requires pharmaceutical companies to implement shortage prevention plans and notify authorities of supply issues, alongside emergency licensing in crisis situations. While such measures are not explicitly noted as adopted in Almaty, they offer a framework that the city could potentially adapt.
Addressing healthcare staffing shortages is crucial to ensuring the continuous supply and availability of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Almaty, like many cities, faces staffing challenges in healthcare organizations, which can impact the distribution and management of these essential resources.
Recent inspections in Almaty have revealed encouraging signs. Warehouses of pharmaceutical companies, including Biola and "Inkar," have been stockpiling essential medicines and medical supplies for city pharmacies. Biola has delivered 27 million units of medical devices to Almaty, while "Inkar" holds 7.7 million units of 62 types of medications. "Medservis Plus," another supplier, has a non-depletable stock of 1.2 million packages of paracetamol and aspirin, with 6 million packages supplied this year alone.
Mayor Bakytzhan Sagintayev has been actively involved in these efforts, inspecting warehouses and discussing measures to prevent shortages. He has shared updates on the situation on the shelves of medications procured for the city's pharmacy network on his Instagram account. However, he has not mentioned any specific pharmaceutical company other than Biola and the warehouses belonging to "Inkar."
The total non-depletable reserve of medications in Almaty is 8 million units, a significant reserve that contributes to the city's preparedness. As the city continues to address its challenges, it is expected to further strengthen its pharmaceutical supply chain and ensure the continued availability of high-demand pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
- Science and health-and-wellness collaborations with pharmaceutical companies are vital for Almaty's efforts to enhance the safety and availability of medicines, ultimately supporting shortage prevention.
- To fortify public health preparedness, Almaty is focusing on science-backed strategies such as improving immunization, enhancing vaccine acceptance, and bolstering the national public health infrastructure.
