“There is no mofetil mycophenolate, you must spend next week to see”It is the common response that transplanted patients have received for four months when they go to the high -cost pharmacy in search of the medication.
On April 21 Thiago visited the pharmacy located in Los Ruices, east of the capital, to ask about two drugs that his father needs after a kidney transplant a year ago. But, as in the last three weeks, the answer was the same: “there is no”.
“My dad takes four pills a day of the Mofenolate Medication Mofetil, which has a cost of $ 63 plus all other blood pressure medicines. It is difficult to cover all expenses,”
dice.
The mofetil mycophenolate, a vital immunosuppressant to avoid the rejection of the transplanted organ, is proportionate for life by the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS) as a subsidy.
However, Thiago’s dad has to dose his doses of this medicine for four months so that the treatment lasts more days and thus the expense for his son extends a little more.
“You only take two of four pills and interdiary to pay the medication.”
Reymer Villamizar, transplanted patient and founder of transplanted friends of Venezuela, explains that the shortage of immunosuppressants crawls from Eight months agowhich forces patients to resort to extreme measures.
“Now the patients dose their treatment and we have also received reports from several people who have had to eat defeated medications and have altered their values,”
detailed.
The situation persists
Although in March 2025 the National Public Health System (SPNS) distributed free drugs in Caracas – according to a social security press release – since the late 2024 chronic patients denounce the lack of medicines in these pharmacies.
Magaly Padrón has been mycophenolate for more than six months and also reports missing prednisone and rapamune.
“We are many patients affected with this situation. One comes here and treat it badly, there are no solutions.”
In private pharmacies, mycophenolate It costs the equivalent of $ 63an unattainable amount for Magaly, whose pension is Bs. 130 ($ 1.5 to the official change, established by the Central Bank of Venezuela to the date of this publication).
-“Those people who do not have money to buy the medicine in private pharmacies; they ask for pills or blisters to other patients to try to survive and avoid an episode of rejection of the organ,” explains Villamizar.
The activist compares the current situation with the 2017 crisiswhen the shortage of mycophenolate for six months caused rejections of transplants and protests.
“In 2025, although conditions are still difficult, patients are not publicly protesting for fear, but they continue to make calls to the authorities.”
While there is more availability in private pharmacies, many cannot afford them. “Until now, no serious complications have been reported, but the lack of access to medicines remains a problem.”
These drugs are essential for 70 % of transplanted in Venezuelain addition to patients with lupus or nephrotic syndrome. 480 mg carboplatin are also reported, reflecting a generalized shortage.
“They don’t know what it is to be sick”
In a tour of Chronicle one For the IVSS pharmacy, long lines of patients with diabetes, cancer or kidney diseases were observed. Only four of the 16 ticket offices were operational.
After waiting hours, the staff reviews the records and confirms that there is no treatment.
María* arrived at 9:00 am by Nivolumab, a drug for cervical cancer that has not received six months.
Two months ago he had a relapse, he reveals, because he already has six months without the treatment because he does not find it in private families.
“They do not know what it is to be sick and depend on a life treatment. I want to continue enjoying my children and, for bad luck, for a year I was diagnosed with cervical cancer,”
Villamizar acknowledges that there are no official figures of the deficit, but the evidence arises from alerts between organizations.
“We have patients who have remained without their medicines for more than six months, depending on the state in which they are,” the activist coincides.
With Lara Press Information
