DRUGS PAST THEIR USE BY DATE?

The National 30 June 2018

I read with deep distrust the media report by Maura Elaripe and Dorothy Mark both of I Gat Hop that second line antiretroviral drugs prescribed by Idinad Care Centre in Madang are beyond their expiry date.

Elaripe has a track record of a trouble maker who rushes to print in antiretroviral drugs but is usually in error. Elaripe and Mark claim that 1500 AIDS patients are in danger. Did she check with the clinic before rushing to print? 

There would not be 1500 people on second line drugs in Madang. There would be more likely less than 10 who have messed up their medication and need to go on to second line of drugs.

So she saw drugs past their use by date on a claimed advocacy visit to Madang. Were these drugs recently given out or were these old drugs perhaps belonging to AIDS sufferers who died. Did she check? Is the distribution of 2nd line drugs very slow as most people remain on first line drugs? 

Is there trafficking in ARV drugs? Some people would prefer to buy stolen drugs than go out into the eye of the public at an AIDS clinic.

The latest issue of first line drugs has tablets containing Lamuvudine, Zidovudine and Nevaripine. The expiry date is March 2019.