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Salamol
Why were Easi-breathe inhalers not available?
From Mrs M. Duxbury, MRPharmS
Please can we have an explanation from Ivax or Unichem as to why Salamol
Easi-breathe inhalers were not available in the last week of March. Is
it just a coincidence that they arrived in the dispensary on the afternoon
of 1 April, the day of the discount removal?
What about the patients who had to go without? Two of our patients had
to use ordinary inhalers instead. Life is hard enough for a busy pharmacist
without problems like this.
Mary Duxbury
Chatham, Kent
| |
DAVID COLES, managing director, UniChem, replies:
UniChem would like
to clarify the course of events which led to some customers experiencing
a short-lived unavailability of Easi-breathe inhalers during the last
week of March. On 23 March IVAX made an unexpected industry-wide announcement
regarding changes to its pricing structure. As a reaction to this
announcement, on the same day, UniChem saw a six-fold increase in customer
orders
of the Easi-breathe product. This unprecedented demand inevitably
resulted in a stock shortage within UniChem. As soon as this occurred
UniChem
placed
an emergency order with IVAX. This order did not arrive at our distribution
centres until 1 April and was dispatched to customers at the earliest
opportunity. |
MARK OSBORNE, marketing manager UK brands, IVAX Pharmaceuticals UK
Ltd, replies:
We are surprised to hear that there seemed to have been
a supply
issue with Salamol Easi-Breathe in the last week of March. IVAX can
confirm that there were no issues with our internal stock levels or
supply chain
distribution for the whole of March. All wholesalers were supplied
in line with the orders placed with us. |
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal