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Vital Psychiatric Medication Out Of Stock In Pharmacies
A troubling tweet from Lebanese psychiatrist Joseph el Khoury has shed light on the truly devastating reality many are dealing with.
Several drugs that aid mental health have gone completely out of stock in pharmacies across Lebanon, leaving patients desperate for substitutes.
Desvenlafaxine, Venlafaxine, Clonazepam and Sertraline – these drugs treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and even seizures, and it is extremely dangerous to stop them cold turkey.
Pharmacist Souheil El Gharib said to Beirut.com, “Certain medications are running out in Lebanon due to 3 major reasons: smuggling outside of Lebanon, people panic-buying in bulks to store at home, and BDL is making it harder to import medication to Lebanon. We don’t expect these medications to restock any time soon, so long as BDL does not have the money to subsidize such medications”.
This comes at quite possibly the most brutal time for Lebanese citizens suffering from depression and anxiety.
Today calls received about Desvenlafaxine, Venlafaxine, Clonazepam and Sertraline all out of stock in pharmacies. And as doctors we simply have no answers to give. #Lebanon #mentalhealth #psychiatry @mophleb
— Joseph El-Khoury (@JEK_Psych) January 9, 2021
Several drugs that aid mental health have gone completely out of stock in pharmacies across Lebanon, leaving patients desperate for substitutes.
Desvenlafaxine, Venlafaxine, Clonazepam and Sertraline – these drugs treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and even seizures, and it is extremely dangerous to stop them cold turkey.
Pharmacist Souheil El Gharib said to Beirut.com, “Certain medications are running out in Lebanon due to 3 major reasons: smuggling outside of Lebanon, people panic-buying in bulks to store at home, and BDL is making it harder to import medication to Lebanon. We don’t expect these medications to restock any time soon, so long as BDL does not have the money to subsidize such medications”.
This comes at quite possibly the most brutal time for Lebanese citizens suffering from depression and anxiety.