Cancer patients must purchase the drug Bleomycin themselves

Cancer patients are forced to buy the drug Bleomycin themselves. This medication, which is used to treat several types of cancer, has been missing from the Oncology Clinic for months. Patients say that, in addition to the cost, they also face difficulties finding it.

The medication used in the treatment of some types of cancer, known as Bleomycin, has been missing from the Oncology Clinic at UCCK for months. 

As a result, patients who have been prescribed this drug as therapy are forced to purchase it themselves.

A patient who spoke on condition of anonymity said that since the beginning of chemotherapy treatment, he has purchased this medication himself.

"For four months now, I have been forced to buy Bleomycin myself. In addition to the fear I experienced when I was diagnosed with this disease, I was immediately faced with another concern, the lack of therapy. Instead of focusing on treatment, I had to seek and obtain the medicine myself," the patient said. 

Another patient said that in addition to having to buy it himself, he also has difficulty finding Bleomycin in pharmacies.

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"I'm tired of running to pharmacies to find the therapy. Every week I have to take it, it's a challenge for me to get it. The whole family is having trouble, running up and down to find it. Right now, as far as I know, only one pharmacy has it here near the clinic."

KOHA has also spoken to other patients and family members, who have indicated that Bleomycin has been missing for months and that they have not received any explanation from the Oncology Clinic for the reasons for the shortage.

To learn exactly how long this therapy has been missing, what the real reason for the shortage is, and when the Oncology Clinic is expected to be supplied with Bleomycin, KOHA has been sending questions to SHSKUK since last week. 

In a brief response, without providing any further details, this institution said that the contracting procedure failed in procurement and that the product has been restarted again, while they are now in the tendering phase.

For the supply of this therapy, SHSKUK had opened a tender that envisaged the supply of 1.902 ampoules of Bleomycin, with an estimated value of around 38 thousand euros. 

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However, the lot for this bar was canceled on the grounds that the economic operator's bid exceeded the estimated value. 

The QKUK is also lacking the medication Palbociclib. Although SHSKUK signed the supply contract only last week, the Oncology Clinic has not yet been supplied with this therapy.