Two years ago, following the coronavirus crisis, a national stockpile of both prescription and over-the-counter medications was set up, intended primarily for crisis situations.

However, that reserve is now being drawn upon, even in the absence of any state-defined and declared crisis, such as that which was in place during the Covid pandemic.

Minister of Health Riina Sikkut (SDE) said: "The supply issues regarding certain active ingredients and medications are that severe that the government had already made this decision once in respect of kidney patients, while this time around, the government decided to use the stockpile in the case of certain heart medications."

The new change will ensure around 6,000 people meet their daily necessary medication requirements, the minister said, adding that the current supply difficulties are forecast to ease by July, until which time retail pharmacies will be able to sell the stockpiled medicine.

The minister stressed that so far as patients go, nothing will change; they will still get the same needed medication, and from their regular pharmacy.

The precise names of the drug types and their active ingredients are not being disclosed, in order to avoid a run on the products at the pharmacies themselves.

Sikkut said: "For the first two weeks, there are indeed restrictions in place to prevent anyone from hoarding the entire supply which comes from the stockpile; prescriptions have specific quantities which patients need, and we adhere to these quantities too."

The national stockpile was created initially from 165 of the most commonly used medications, but as of now is supposed to contain a one-month supply of a somewhat larger number.

Ninety percent of the necessary medications have been successfully procured, also.

As of the outstanding 10 percent, Priit Ploomipuu, board member at the EVK said: "I don't think the state is paying too little."

"Instead, it is supply difficulties which are the factor. There is no point in putting things on the shelves if there is a customer in the pharmacy who already wants to buy it. So an agreement has been made with wholesalers to build up stock without disrupting the market and creating a shortage," Ploomipuu continued.

Medication supply disruptions have been a serious issue not only in Estonia but across Europe.

Marko Tiisler, head of import and export at the State Agency of Medicines (Raviamet) said: "We don't have widespread supply disruptions now."

"However, a season or two ago, we had major concerns with antibiotics for instance, but those issues have been resolved by now. In the spring, we did have problems with potent painkillers, but those medications are now available in pharmacies too."

The national pharmaceutical stockpile only contains medications for which no alternative treatment is available.

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