Pharmacy Daily | TGA monitoring potential shortages

THE Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has advised it is actively monitoring the international manufacturing of medicines to determine any potential future impact to drug supply to Australian consumers.

The TGA is also liaising with pharmacists and other local suppliers to make sure the Australian market is well-stocked.

An update released yesterday confirms the TGA has not received any notification of medicine shortages in Australia that are a direct result of COVID-19, reiterating previous advice that "any stockpiling of medicines is unnecessary".

Yesterday's update comes after the agency last week released its first annual medicines shortage report (PD 04 Mar).

"Stockpiling by individuals could result in other consumers being unable to access particular medicines," the TGA warned.

"Stockpiling of any medicines at this time is not indicated and could result in patients not receiving the medicines that they require."

The TGA also provided an update on access to coronavirus tests, medicines and vaccines, noting that on 31 Jan an emergency legislative exemption was made to facilitate necessary access to certain kinds of medical devices used for the diagnosis, confirmatory testing, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of novel coronavirus infection.

The TGA also noted that several possible new vaccine candidates were under development, with some already emerging, and being assessed in clinical trials for efficacy against coronavirus infection.

Some products such as complementary medicines or disinfectants are also being "inappropriately promoted" for the prevention of COVID-19 infections in Australia, the TGA added, urging consumers to exercise caution when considering advertising claims related to novel coronavirus.

MEANWHILE a new study released by Johns Hopkins University in the USA has suggested that quarantine periods for COVID-19 could be cut to five days, based on the average incubation period.