Norwegians have made a pilgrimage to pharmacies to buy iodine tablets as a result of fears of a nuclear accident in connection with the war in Ukraine.
This has led to a shortage of the drug Jodix in Norway. The product is now sold out in almost all pharmacies.
However, Norwegians have to wait a long time before it becomes available again.
Jodix will not arrive in Norway until April 20, despite increased production, the company behind the drug Orion Pharma informs TV 2.
The Norwegian Medicines Agency also confirms that they have received the same information.
– TORN AWAY: Jodix has in a short time been torn off the shelves. Photo: Kristin Grønning / TV 2
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– It is unfortunate that there is a shortage of Jodix. The pharmacies had a large iodine stock, but the Ukraine crisis triggered a massive purchase of the population. I am sure that the pharmacies, wholesalers and manufacturers did not envisage this happening, says chief physician Ingrid Aas in the Norwegian Medicines Agency to TV 2.
New drug for three groups
Due to the great shortage of iodine tablets, a new iodine tablet will be on the market next week; potassium iodide Serb 65 mg, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
However, most people will not have access to this medicine. It will be sent directly to the emergency warehouse, which the municipalities can order from.
It is a requirement that municipalities have an iodine store for children under 18, pregnant and breastfed.
– It is possible that potassium iodide Serb may end up in pharmacies eventually, but not as it looks now, says Aas in the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
– It is unlikely that iodine tablets will arrive in pharmacies before April 20, she says.
When there is a shortage of a medicine in Norway, foreign packs can be sold temporarily. Aas in the Norwegian Medicines Agency says that it often takes a long time to obtain these products. She says that this is hardly relevant for Jodix, also because the shortage situation is similar in several European countries.
Facts: Example of emergency stockpile
- 9 liters of water per person
- two packets of crispbread per person
- one packet of oatmeal per person
- three cans of canned food or three bags of dry food per person
- three boxes with toppings with long shelf life per person
- some bags of dried fruit or nuts, biscuits and chocolate
- medications you are addicted to
- wood, gas or paraffin stove for heating
- grill or stove that runs on gas
- candles, flashlight with batteries or kerosene lamp
- matches or lighter
- warm clothes, blanket and sleeping bag
- first aid kit
- battery-powered DAB radio
- batteries, charged battery bank and mobile phone charger for the car
- wet wipes and disinfectant
- wipe / toilet paper
- some cash
- extra fuel and firewood / gas / kerosene / rubbing alcohol for heating and cooking
- iodine tablets in case of nuclear incidents if you are under 40 years of age, pregnant, breastfeeding or have children living at home
Source: DSB
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– Therefore, it is hardly relevant with Jodix. We hope and believe it will be back in Norwegian pharmacies on 20 April.
Message
Last week The Norwegian Directorate of Health asked Norwegian municipalities to review iodine preparedness for children under 18, pregnant and breastfeeding. Most people are advised to have iodine tablets at home as self-preparedness.
The municipalities must answer how many tablets they have on standby, including those that have expired, and whether the number is adequate for the target groups. They must also answer whether they can distribute these tablets within 2 hours after notice given by the authorities.
The deadline for responding to the directorate was 12 noon on Monday.
Assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad writes in an e-mail to TV 2 that they will spend the next few days reviewing the answers.
– The tablets stored in the municipalities have been distributed continuously for the last 5 years after registered orders from the municipalities. It was the greatest demand from the municipalities to begin with, in the autumn of 2017, and there has also been great demand in recent weeks, he writes.
Iodine tablets can be used even if they have expired. According to the Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety iodine tablets have been stable, which means that they retain their quality even after the expiry date. Tests over several years have shown this.
What you should know about iodine tablets
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