Pharmaceutical imports through OR Tambo International Airport are delayed by a backlog created when the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) apparently failed to secure office space, resulting in chronic medication not being released in time.
This was exclusively revealed to Freight News on May 8 by a reliable source with insight to efforts undertaken by the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) to resolve the issue.
According to the source, who asked not to be named, Sahpras lease with Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) wasnt renewed, resulting in the regulatory body losing office access at South Africas busiest airport.
A pharma freight forwarder said Sahpra had bungled its relocation from one office to another, impacting the discharging of its duties under the Medicines and Related Substances Act.
The source who contacted Freight News said: No imports were being cleared because no documents were being released for approval by Sahpra.
Thats where the backlog started, because Sahpra didnt have an office to work from.
It is understood that the backlog is only affecting controlled medicine imports through OR Tambo, and that Sahpra is battling to clear the backlog.
This issue started about three weeks ago, maybe four, and theyre still battling to get on top of things. Its a bit of a nightmare with storage and demurrage charges that are escalating by the day.
The source said one shipper said they had paid R65000 in storage charges caused by the backlog.
Another complained to Saaff about four separate shipments totalling 16 enviro containers that were held back because of what was happening at OR Tambo.
The source said Saaff was escalating the issue to the highest government levels possible in an effort to fast track the throughput of chronic medication through the airport.
They (Saaff) are busy talking to the Border Management Authority, Acsa and Business Unity South Africa to try and sort things out as it doesnt seem Sahpra is capable of clearing the backlog.
Freight News approached Sahpra for comment but has not yet heard from its CEO, Dr. Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, or anyone else representing the organisation.
In the meantime shippers and freight forwarders say Sahpra is also not updating them about whats happening at OR Tambo.
Sahpras website, which has a news tab, was last updated on April 24, and although it has a holding statement about a backlog-clearing project, its not about the current delay of controlled medicine imports at OR Tambo.
The website statement is about an inherited backlog of applications dating back to Sahpras launch on January 18.
In the statement, Sahpra claims to have inherited a backlog of 16 000 applications over 8 000 new registration applications and just under 8 000 variation applications. For new registrations, this backlog goes back as far as 1992 and 50% of these applications are at least 5 years old.
A source from the pharmacy sector said there was more to the current issue than what was immediately visible.
She said importers often did not renew their permits on time.
Saaff CEO Juanita Maree wasnt available for comment at the time this report was compiled.
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