Latest news with #pharmacies
News24
3 days ago
- Health
- News24
Should pharmaceutical advertising in SA be better regulated, and why?
Anyone who has travelled to the United States will have been struck by the extent to which medicines, both those requiring a prescription and those that can be bought by consumers without a prescription, are advertised on television. The situation in South Africa is quite different. While there are many advertisements for medicines shown on local television stations, only some are specific about the proprietary (brand) name of the medicine and its indications. Other advertisements focus instead on the indication (the reason for using the medicine), but do not identify it by name. Instead, viewers are urged to approach their pharmacies or medical practitioners. At a different time, an advertisement may be flighted which identifies a medicine, its strength, pack size and perhaps price, but provides no information about what the indication for the medicine is. To what extent does this represent meaningful and justified regulatory control over pharmaceutical marketing? Only two countries with effective medicines regulatory systems allow prescription-only medicines to be advertised directly to the consumer, these being the United States and New Zealand. Other countries, including South Africa, restrict the advertising of prescription-only medicines to the health professionals who can prescribe or dispense them. READ | #InsideTheBox with Dr Andy Gray | Who can prescribe medicines in SA? One of the key justifications for this restriction on the ability of the pharmaceutical industry to market their products is that direct-to-consumer advertising may result in more inappropriate prescribing, when prescribers are under pressure from patients demanding medicines they have seen advertised. Short television advertisements are unlikely to be able to convey a balanced account of the potential benefits and harms of medicines, especially those that are new to the market. South African law contains an interesting variant to regulation in this area. General Regulation 42 issued in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965, allows medicines containing substances in schedules 0 and 1 to be advertised to the public, but requires that those containing substances in schedules 2 to 6 to be advertised 'only for the information of pharmacists, medical practitioners, dentists, veterinarians, practitioners and other authorised prescribers' or 'in a publication which is normally or only made available' to such persons. While Schedule 0 medicines can be bought in any retail outlet, Schedule 1 and 2 medicines can only be obtained from a pharmacy but not self-selected from a shelf. The justification for that particular cut-off is difficult to trace in any policy document. An amendment to the regulation was published for comment in February 2023, but the final regulation has yet to be issued by the minister of health. 'Failure to follow through' The fundamental problem, however, lies in a failure to follow through on the legislation previously passed by Parliament. Section 18C of the current version of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965, contains a prescriptive instruction to the minister. 'The minister shall, after consultation with the relevant industries and other stakeholders, make regulations relating to the marketing of medicines, medical devices or IVDs and such regulations shall also provide for codes of practice for relevant industries,' it states. From 2003 to 2017, the section read: 'The minister shall, after consultation with the pharmaceutical industry and other stakeholders, make regulations relating to the marketing of medicines, and such regulations shall also provide for an enforceable code of practice.' The expansion of the remit to include medical devices and in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) was added by Parliament in 2008 but only took effect in 2017. READ | #InsideTheBox with Dr Andy Gray | Are clinical trial participants in South Africa protected? The wording is peremptory – the minister 'shall' – which leaves no room for delay. While the word 'enforceable' has been removed, the very intent of a regulation is that it should be enforced. That no regulations have been forthcoming in more than 20 years is an extraordinary failure of governance. That failure is compounded by another act of omission. Section 18A of the act states: 'No person shall supply any medicine, medical device or IVD according to a bonus system, rebate system or any other incentive scheme.' The law also enables the minister to 'prescribe acceptable and prohibited acts' in this regard, in consultation with the Pricing Committee. No final regulations have been issued since 2017. The Pricing Committee is established to advise the minister on matters relating to the pricing of medicines, such as the annual maximum increase and the dispensing fees charged by pharmacists and licensed dispensing practitioners. It is already an offence, in terms of Section 29 of the act, for any person to make 'any false or misleading statement in connection with any medicine, scheduled substance, medical device or IVD'. Regulation 42 also states: 'No advertisement for a medicine may contain a statement which deviates from, with or goes beyond the evidence submitted in the application for registration of such medicine with regard to its safety, quality or efficacy where such evidence has been accepted by the authority in respect of such medicine and incorporated into the approved information of such medicine'. While these two provisions may prevent false or misleading advertising, they are limited in their scope. In particular, since no complementary medicines are yet registered by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), none have an approved professional information (previously known as a package insert) or a patient information leaflet. Industry self-regulation The pharmaceutical and medical devices industries have not been idle during this period of government inaction. A non-profit, self-regulatory body, the Marketing Code Authority (MCA), has developed a Code of Marketing Practice, drawing on international guidelines. This code provides for sanctions when rules are broken, following adjudication of a complaint. Fines of up to a maximum of R500 000 can be levied for severe or serious offences, which would, for example, pose 'safety implications for patients'. However, as a self-regulatory body, the MCA cannot require membership by any licensed manufacturer. It means that those manufacturers which are not members of the MCA are not bound by the code and cannot be sanctioned. The MCA therefore advocates that compliance with a code should be a condition to get a licence to operate as a manufacturer. The MCA has also responded to draft regulations on perverse incentives. At a time when deliberate disinformation is being disseminated from many quarters, including from government authorities previously considered to be reliable, a weakened regulatory system cannot simply be allowed to stagger along, in defiance of the express instructions of the legislature. Public safety demands an effective regulatory mechanism to proactively examine pharmaceutical marketing, across all media, the ability to take meaningful action where transgressions are identified and an even playing field for all actors. - Gray is a senior lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and co-director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Pharmaceutical Policy and Evidence Based Practice. This is the fourth of a new series of #InsideTheBox columns he is writing for Spotlight. Disclosure: Gray is a member of South Africa's National Essential Medicines List Committee and co-chairs its Expert Review Committee.
CTV News
22-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Painkiller shortage forces Windsor pharmacists to make tough calls
Pharmacies are dealing with a prescription painkiller shortage as they try to accommodate customers with limited supply. CTV Windsor's Travis Fortnum reports. A national shortage of a commonly prescribed painkiller is being felt locally — forcing Windsor-Essex pharmacists to ration supply, split doses, and find stopgap solutions for patients in pain. 'We're basically out now,' said Tim Brady, owner of Brady's Drug Store. 'We're limiting people to 30-day supplies instead of three months, just trying to spread it around.' Brady's Drug Store painkiller shortage Tim Brady, owner of Brady's Drug Store, assists a customer at the Essex location as the national painkiller shortage forces pharmacists to ration supply and explore alternatives. Seen in Essex, Ont. on July 21, 2025. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor) Brady is talking about Oxycocet, a medication that combines oxycodone and acetaminophen into one pill. It's similar in composition to better-known brand names like Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen) and Tylenol 3 (codeine and acetaminophen). Health Canada confirms those are among several products in short supply across the country due to 'manufacturing disruptions and increased demand.' According to the federal regulator, that includes: Acetaminophen with codeine: Lenoltec No. 1, No. 3, No. 4, and Emtec-30 Lenoltec No. 1, No. 3, No. 4, and Emtec-30 Acetaminophen with oxycodone: Oxycocet, Apo-Oxycodone/Acet, and Rivacocet 'Health Canada recognizes how important these medications are for people managing pain and acknowledges the impact shortages may have on their daily lives,' a spokesperson said in a written statement. 'We understand that this can be distressing for patients and their families. The department is doing everything it can to help resolve these shortages.' Health Canada said it's working with manufacturers, distributors, provinces and territories to 'monitor the situation and explore options to increase access.' But for patients walking into pharmacies today, it's a challenge already at hand. 'It's scary,' said Brady. 'If you've been stabilized… and suddenly it's not available, you don't want to go back to that place again.' That's why his team is calling around to other pharmacies, dispensing what they can — and, when needed, working with doctors to prescribe an alternative. Hospitals are feeling the squeeze too. 'We saw this coming,' said Antoinette Duronio, director of pharmacy services at Windsor Regional Hospital. She said her team reviewed its inventory early and began adjusting distribution to avoid disruptions. 'We review the stock, determine when we might run out and restrict it to the patients who absolutely need it — while finding alternatives for others,' she said. Mina Tadrous, a pharmacist and drug policy researcher at the University of Toronto, said the shortage reflects the complexity of the pharmaceutical supply chain. 'For one pill to end up in your vial, it probably has ingredients from multiple countries,' he said. 'It's gone through maybe eight or nine different factories, and it's ended up in that place. And so, if something along that chain happened, you start to see a domino effect.' He added: 'It's what we call is a fast mover — a commonly used medication… You're faced with a scenario where you have to make tough choices.' Making those choices could be easier, the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) argues, if pharmacists had more authority to act independently during shortages. 'Under federal rules (the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act), pharmacists aren't allowed to prescribe or switch medications like opioids, even in situations like this,' said Tyler Gogo, senior manager of communications for the CPhA. 'We've raised this issue before — if pharmacists had more flexibility under the CDSA, they could provide care in a more timely and convenient way.' Gogo pointed out that while most provinces allow pharmacists to adjust prescriptions for non-controlled drugs, the federal CDSA prevents them from doing the same with opioids like Oxycocet or Tylenol 3. 'That means pharmacists can't easily help patients switch medications, even when there's a shortage.' This restriction exists because opioids are tightly regulated due to their high risk for addiction and abuse, requiring physician oversight for any adjustments. As for how long might this specific shortage last? 'It's expected to last into early August,' said Gogo. Health Canada recommends patients speak with their doctor or pharmacist, 'who can help identify alternative treatments or strategies to manage their supply.' And on the ground, Brady is asking for patience and understanding from those who rely on these medications. 'We're not trying to make your life difficult,' he said. 'It's just we can't get any.'
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
New Brunswick funds pharmacists to treat more common ailments
Pharmacists in New Brunswick received public funding to treat three more common ailments, said a news release Friday. Patients can visit participating pharmacies for seasonal allergies, thrush and fungal infections – including athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm – with no service fee, said the province in the release. 'These types of health concerns are within the scope of practice of pharmacists in New Brunswick, and we continue to value the role pharmacists can play in helping New Brunswickers receive the right care at the right time from the right health professional,' said Health Minister John Dornan. Pharmacists in New Brunswick can now assess and treat 15 common ailments with prescriptions, administer vaccines and provide other services. This helps reduce traffic at emergency rooms, walk-in clinics and other care providers, said the province. Patients are advised to contact their pharmacist in advance to find out what services are available since they are not mandatory. The cost of certain consultations is covered but patients are still responsible for the cost of medication. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grocer Albertsons raises annual sales forecast on steady demand
(Reuters) -Albertsons raised its annual sales forecast after beating quarterly sales estimates on Tuesday, betting on steady demand for essentials at grocery stores and pharmacies as higher economic uncertainty squeezes household budgets. Consumers, facing persistent inflationary pressures, have been tightening their budgets and sticking to the must-haves, such as grocery items and medicines, while steering clear of higher-priced, non-essential purchases including electronics and apparel. The company expects annual identical sales to grow in the range of 2% to 2.75%, compared with its prior forecast of 1.5% to 2.5%. It posted quarterly sales of $24.88 billion, compared with analysts' estimates of $24.73 billion, as per data compiled by LSEG. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Japan Point-Of-Care Testing Market Set to Reach US$ 4,557.56 Million By 2033
Japan's point-of-care testing sector is mature, driven by an ageing population, strong domestic champions, supportive reimbursement, and global firms introducing connectivity, yet competitive pressures sustain innovation and ensure secure supply chains across clinics and hospitals. Chicago, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Japan point-of-care testing market is projected to hit the market valuation of US$ 4,557.56 million by 2033 from US$ 2,361.59 million in 2024 at a CAGR of 7.91% during the forecast period 2025–2033. Japan point-of-care testing market continues to gain strong momentum as the nation's rapidly ageing demographic pushes hospitals, clinics, and community pharmacies to secure nearly instantaneous answers at the bedside. In 2024 the Cabinet Office reports 36 million Japanese residents aged over 65, and this cohort presents the highest per-capita burden of diabetes, heart failure, and chronic respiratory disease nationwide. Traditional central-lab workflows stretch turnaround time to three hours or more, an interval that often triggers avoidable ambulance transfers and overnight admissions. By contrast, handheld HbA1c, BNP, and CRP cartridges now deliver actionable readings within fifteen minutes, enabling physicians to titrate medication in the same visit. Growth is especially visible inside 1,500 geriatric specialty hospitals, where ward nurses increasingly run creatinine or urinalysis strips before nephrologist rounds, preventing dosing errors for renally cleared drugs. Global momentum is supportive; the broader point-of-care diagnostics segment climbed further in 2023, reflecting brisk cartridge replenishment rates across Asia-Pacific. Download Free Sample: Clinical leaders underscore that the Japan point-of-care testing market benefits from strong continuity-of-care objectives under the national 'Community‐based Integrated Care System.' Because nearly one in three ambulance calls involves patients over 75, emergency departments are deploying desktop troponin analyzers at triage to reduce coronary ruling-out time from 170 to 40 minutes. Home-visit nurses, whose numbers surpassed 110,000 in 2024, now carry Bluetooth glucose meters that push encrypted data to family physicians through the MHLW-certified Medical Information Cloud. The keyword impetus is also seen in rehabilitation facilities, where physiotherapists use portable lactate meters to individualize exercise loads. Further demand stems from family caregivers purchasing hemoglobin self-test kits online; e-commerce sales for these kits more than doubled between 2021 and 2023. Altogether, the Japan point-of-care testing market is evolving from hospital-centric instrumentation toward a pervasive, elder-support ecosystem that travels with the patient. Key Findings in Japan Point-Of-Care Testing Market Market Forecast (2033) US$ 4,557.56 million CAGR 7.91% By Product Type Testing Kits & Consumables (65.50%) By Test Type Immunological PoC Tests (45.50%) By Indication Infectious Diseases (35.70%) By Technology Biosensor Technology (30.8%) By Sample Type Blood (62.7%) By Mode of Purchase Prescription-based Testing (53.77%) By End User Hospitals & Clinics (58.5%) By Distribution Channel Retail Pharmacies (46.2%) Top Drivers Aging Population Needs: Rising elderly demographic demands rapid POCT diagnostics in both nations. Chronic Disease Prevalence: Increasing chronic conditions boost POCT demand for early screening. Government Support: Funding from public and private sectors drives POCT market growth. Top Trends Decentralized Testing Growth: Shift to decentralized diagnostics enhances faster decision-making in healthcare. Mobile Device Adoption: Growing use of mobile POCT devices in middle-income regions. Technological Advancements: Innovations in POCT platforms like microfluidics improve testing accuracy. Top Challenges Accuracy Concerns: Inaccurate results reduce trust in POCT versus lab testing. Cost Barriers: High costs limit POCT adoption in resource-constrained settings. Regulatory Hurdles: Stringent regulations in India and Japan complicate market entry. Policy Reforms Accelerate Decentralized Testing Reimbursement And Procurement Pathways Expansion Japan point-of-care testing market immediately felt the impact of the April 2022 revision to the National Health Insurance (NHI) tariff schedule, which created distinct specimen-specific codes for QR-linked lateral-flow assays. Under the update, providers receive a bundled consultation fee when antigen or molecular tests are performed in non-hospital settings, a mechanism that saved clinics an estimated US$ 9.6 million in administrative time during the first twelve months. Likewise, the October 2023 Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act (PMD Act) amendment simplified importation dossiers for CE-marked cartridge systems, shaving the average approval review period from 14 to 8 months. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) complemented the regulatory streamlining by launching a four-year, US$ 120 million subsidy program that reimburses up to 50,000 yen per analyte-specific device installed in rural municipalities. Globally, payers that adopt similar outcome-based reimbursement have spurred quicker diagnostics diffusion. Strong fiscal signals guarantee sustained velocity for the Japan point-of-care testing market going into fiscal 2025. The government's 9th Medical Fee Revision allows pharmacists to bill for inflammatory marker testing when undertaken as part of medication therapy management, a first in the OECD community. Prefectural procurement offices are also turning to digital auctions: Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Osaka jointly sourced 280,000 influenza-SARS-CoV-2 combo cassettes via an online reverse-bid in January 2024, securing a 12-day delivery window that supported uninterrupted clinic operations during a severe seasonal surge. Parallel efforts inside the Self-Defense Forces Medical Service have cleared portable blood gas units for disaster drills, providing another reimbursable pathway once units transition to civilian trauma centers. These multilayered fiscal and regulatory levers ensure that the Japan point-of-care testing market is not only expanding its installed base but also lowering the total cost of ownership for frontline providers. Technological Convergence Spurs Multiplex Molecular Panels In Primary Settings Evolution Japan point-of-care testing market registers a clear pivot from single-analyte lateral-flow strips to palm-sized multiplex PCR readers capable of detecting ten respiratory or gastrointestinal pathogens in one cartridge. Domestic innovators, often in partnership with microfluidic design houses from Silicon Valley, have shrunk thermal-cycling volumes to under two microliters, trimming reaction times to 20 minutes without sacrificing analytical sensitivity. The 2024 Kanto Respiratory Trial demonstrated that a clinic-based multiplex panel correctly identified 219 out of 222 adenovirus cases compared with central-lab RT-PCR, while allowing same-visit antiviral prescription. On the chronic-disease front, electrochemical immunosensors embedded in chip-on-board assemblies now quantify hs-CRP down to 0.2 mg/L, enabling earlier statin initiation for patients who appear low-risk by LDL alone. These advances mirror the global move toward high-throughput, cartridge-based POCT solutions that continue to attract strategic investment. Interoperability standards are equally decisive in directing capital toward the Japan point-of-care testing market. Every major cartridge platform released since mid-2023 ships with FHIR-compatible middleware, meaning encounter data slip seamlessly into the nationwide KokusaiDenso distributed ledger used for claims adjudication. That single feature shortened claim reconciliation cycles by four days for 380 pilot clinics across Saitama Prefecture. Additionally, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) published a common battery-safety profile that lets clinicians hot-swap lithium-ion packs without rebooting the analyzer—a critical requirement for disaster preparedness hospitals in quake-prone regions. The confluence of microfluidics, cloud APIs, and ruggedized industrial design places the Japan market on a trajectory where precision diagnostics are not compromised by footprint, power, or data-security constraints. Modify Report as Per Requirements: Domestic Champions Compete With Multinationals In Connected Device Arena Dynamics Japan point-of-care testing market features a vibrant mix of home-grown players—Sysmex, ARKRAY, HORIBA, and Nihon Kohden—alongside multinational heavyweights Abbott, Roche, and Siemens Healthineers. Local manufacturers leverage intimate knowledge of reimbursement nuance and facility layout; Sysmex's XW-1000 hematology analyzer, purpose-scaled to fit on Japan's standard 600-millimeter dispensing counter, reached 4,200 community clinics within its first 18 months of launch. Multinationals counter with global R&D budgets, introducing connectivity features such as Abbott's ID NOW Japanese-language voice guidance that reduces operator training time by 60 minutes per staff member. Market watchers observe that platform loyalty increasingly hinges on cartridge supply resilience—domestic suppliers maintained 98 percent monthly fill rates during the Q1 2024 influenza surge, whereas two overseas brands reported week-long back orders. Competitive intensity keeps pricing disciplined, but the bigger story is ecosystem control within the Japan point-of-care testing market. Sysmex secured an exclusive middleware contract with the National Cancer Center Hospital East, linking 65 desk-top coag meters and 22 urinalysis imagers across five buildings; the network transmits 1.2 million results annually into a single data lake for AI-driven antimicrobial stewardship. The system's first-year pilot cut average empirical-antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) by 14 % and flagged 230 mismatches between antibiograms and prescription patterns—metrics that Sysmex now packages into a subscription analytics module to be rolled out to 40 prefectural cancer centers by 2026. Rivals have responded quickly: Roche coaxed its cobas® h 232 cardiac POC line onto NHO's national VPN, while Nihon Kohden embedded FHIR-ready hooks in the new Life Scope PT vitals monitor so that sepsis alerts flow directly into Cerner and Fujitsu HIS instances without middleware. Japan Point-of-Care Testing Market Major Players: Abbott Laboratories F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Sekisui Diagnostics BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) FUJIFILM Sysmex Corporation Other Prominent Players Key Market Segmentation: By Product Devices & Instruments Diagnostic Analyzers & Testing Devices Blood Gas & Electrolyte Analyzers Cardiac Biomarker Analyzers Glucose Monitoring Devices Coagulation Testing Analyzers Urinalysis Analyzers Routine Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Others Monitoring Devices Blood Pressure Monitors Thermometers Pulse Oximeters Others Testing Kits & Consumables Blood Gas & Electrolyte Test Kits Cardiac Biomarker Test Kits Routine Clinical Chemistry Test Kits Hematology Test Kits Coagulation Testing Kits Urinalysis Test Strips & Kits Cholesterol Test Strips Drugs Abuse Testing Kits Pregnancy And Fertility Testing Kits Others By Test Type Immunological PoC Tests Nucleic Acid-Based PoC Tests Biomarker-Based PoC Tests By Indication Infectious Diseases HIV COVID-19 Others Oncology Cardiovascular Diseases Metabolic Disorders Respiratory Diseases Neurological Disorders Gastrointestinal Disorders Others By Technology Biosensor Technology Microfluidic Lab-On-A-Chip Technology Molecular Diagnostics Immunoassays Others By Sample Type Blood Urine Saliva Others By Mode Of Purchase Prescription-based Testing Over the Counter (OTC) Testing By End User Hospitals & Clinics Diagnostic Centers Homecare Settings Research Laboratories Others By Distribution Channel Direct Distribution Retail Pharmacies Online Pharmacies Others Have Questions? Reach Out Before Buying: About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global market research and advisory firm providing data-driven insights across industries such as technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and more. We publish multiple reports daily, equipping businesses with the intelligence they need to navigate market trends, emerging opportunities, competitive landscapes, and technological advancements. With a team of experienced business analysts, economists, and industry experts, we deliver accurate, in-depth, and actionable research tailored to meet the strategic needs of our clients. At Astute Analytica, our clients come first, and we are committed to delivering cost-effective, high-value research solutions that drive success in an evolving marketplace. 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