Diabetes patients in Yekaterinburg left without critical medications amid shortages

Diabetes patients in Yekaterinburg are facing serious difficulties accessing essential medications. Pharmacies, including Pharmacy No. 420 on ZhBI Street, have run out of key drugs like gliclazide, leaving many without treatment. The shortage extends to blood glucose test strips, forcing patients to buy supplies at their own expense.

Ilya Budkevich, a local diabetes patient, discovered the shortage when he tried to fill his prescription. The pharmacy had no gliclazide or test strips in stock, despite his doctor’s orders. With no other option, he bought gliclazide himself for 300 rubles per pack.

Test strips, priced at 1,000 rubles per pack, add to the financial strain. Budkevich needs three packs a month, using two strips daily. Meanwhile, the Sverdlovsk Region Ministry of Health claims it has secured medications for beneficiaries in 2026 and signed delivery contracts. Despite the ministry’s assurances, over 800 packs of gliclazide remain in the warehouse of GAU SO Farmatsiya, the authorised distributor. Patients, however, still cannot access them at local pharmacies.

The ongoing shortages mean diabetes patients must either go without treatment or pay out of pocket. Officials insist supplies are secured, yet pharmacies remain empty. Until the issue is resolved, many will continue to struggle with basic medical needs.