Almaty residents complain about aspirin shortage in pharmacies

Tengrinews.kz – Residents of Almaty have complained about the lack of aspirin in the city’s pharmacies.

"I went to six pharmacies near my home — no aspirin anywhere. My friend also couldn’t buy it over the weekend. The Kaspi app also shows that the product is out of stock with sellers," said one local resident.

A Tengrinews.kz journalist also visited several pharmacies in different districts of Almaty and was unable to find the medication.

Is there a shortage of aspirin?

Meanwhile, the Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control (CMPC, under the Ministry of Healthcare) stated that there is no shortage of acetylsalicylic acid (the active ingredient in aspirin) in the country.

According to the agency, 500 mg acetylsalicylic acid tablets are registered in the State Register of Medicinal Products from five manufacturers — from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

“According to the reference systems i-teka.kz and 103.kz, the drug 'Acetylsalicylic Acid' 500 mg (pack of 10 tablets) is available in 132 retail pharmacy chains in Almaty at prices ranging from 120 to 255 tenge. According to the State Register of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices, certificates of conformity have been issued for approximately 2 million packs of acetylsalicylic acid over the past three months,” the Committee reported.

The agency also clarified that 24 brand names of drugs containing the active ingredient "acetylsalicylic acid" in various forms and dosages are currently registered in Kazakhstan.