Norwegian hospitals lack essential medicines

medicinesillustration.Medicines Photo:Pixabay

So far this year 133 cases of medicine shortages in Norwegian hospitals have been reported. Throughout 2015 the figure was at 141, and now physicians will have choose which patients will get  those essential medicines.

According to Dagens Næringsliv,   the have experienced the most serious shortages cancer  and anesthesia medicines, but they may  also eventually experience  a shortage of X-ray contrast mediums.
The head of the Department of Haematology at Oslo University, Geir Tjønn Fjord, will have to prioritize which of their patients that are to get the cancer drug Melphalan.
– Those who get the greatest benefit from treatment, will get a higher priority than those who benefit less, he said.
Children  take precedence over all other group, followed by patients who they are trying to cure of the disease  once and for all, and lastly patients who can’t be permanently cure but  receive it as a part of a life-prolonging treatment.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today