Morphine stock out looms after suspension of production

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Experts are worried about a looming stock out of medical morphine, an opioid approved for use in Uganda among people experiencing dilapidating pain as a result of conditions such as HIV, Tuberculosis and Cancer. Morphine production was suspended last week.

The sole maker of the drug in the country, Hospice Africa Uganda told palliative care providers in a virtual meeting held this morning that they halted activities after President Museveni announced a lock down of most activities in the country as a way of stopping further spread of coronavirus. The disease has affected 44 people in the country so far.

Dr Doreen Agasha Birungi, the clinical director of Hospice Africa Uganda told the meeting that they resolved to close morphine production together with a host of other services that Hospice Africa provides including providing home care to people at the end of life stage. This was done in respect of the social distancing principle.

All their over 1500 people under the home care programme at their sites in Kampala, Mbarara and Hoima where health workers are supposed to visit patients take either daily or weekly doses of morphine are closed. She said they have now resorted to offering psycho social support on the phone.

Apart from those that need the drug at home, Dr Elizabeth Namukwaya, a palliative care physician at Mulago National Referral Hospital said they had already been notified by the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) that the stocks for morphine were going low. Just yesterday, she said they had to offer morphine to 70 patients.

Christine Ebong, a supplies officer at the National Medical Stores (NMS) that is in charge of supplying morphine to national, regional referrals and general hospitals said what is in the stores right now can only take them a month.

According to her, they have 182 bottles of bigger pack morphine and 140 small pack bottles in stock, and their availability for the month will depend on orders made by facilities.

But on his part, Dr Eddie Mwebesa, the Executive Director of Hospice Africa Uganda said that the number of staff was cut down with issues of transportation that’s why production stalled although he added that the makers of morphine are on standby should a need arise.

He however added that they need to be notified on predictions of how long the COVID-19 epidemic in Uganda is likely to last through epidemiological models, pattern recognition from previous epidemics or even lessons from other countries in order for the organization to pace itself and plan supplies beyond what is currently available at production.

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