Our Medicare is Broken, and It's Getting Worse
Patients with chronic illnesses are left scrambling for life-saving drugs as an unseen bureaucratic block makes medication unaffordable or unavailable
Patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, who require regular, life-saving medications, have been trapped in a bureaucratic maze for months, caught between pharmacy shelves and a silent government agency. The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) is to blame for the trouble because it takes too long to approve things, which keeps the State Trading Organisation (STO) from getting the drugs it needs.
“I’ve been trying to get my medicine since July.” One person who has been trying to get Wegovy, a common diabetes drug, through STO for four months said, “Still no approval from NSPA.” “It used to be easy to get. My supply is almost gone now. I’ll have to pay for it myself if there’s no other way.
Many people are having trouble with the high cost of these drugs when they buy them privately. Because they need to be taken regularly, the cost of buying multiple doses becomes too high.
Another person has been trying to get the diabetes medicine Mounjaro from STO Pharmacy for six months. The drug was available before under NSPA, but now that it’s taking longer for approval, he is very worried. He said, “It’s a very expensive medication.” If I buy it on my own, a three-month supply costs more than USD 1,000. NSPA isn’t answering.
Aasandha health insurance doesn’t always cover these drugs because they aren’t on the list of essential medicines. This is a problem for the few people who really need them.
Stuck in the bureaucratic blockade
The system only works if STO imports these drugs after getting NSPA’s approval or promise to pay for them for patients who have prescriptions. The slow approval process and stricter rules are the cause of the current gridlock. NSPA has reportedly turned down some requests even when a doctor has prescribed the drug.
One anonymous complainant said, “They quickly approve such requests for people connected to the government, while earlier requests stay open.” This raised suspicions that the process is not only slow but also unfair.
The problem is everywhere. Many patients who need long-term medication are having the same problems, which is why the STO medical call centre is flooding with complaints from patients and their families every day.
When asked about the growing crisis, STO’s media representative, Yoosuf Shah, did not give any specific information about the situation. He only said that the company is “working to provide essential medications needed by the public.”
Meanwhile, the NSPA has not been able to give an official statement or explanation for the long delays, leaving patients in a state of painful uncertainty. The government agency in charge of protecting them socially has been silent, which says a lot as supplies run low and the threat of having to buy them privately looms.