South Africa’s contraceptive shortage is exposing cracks in the pharmaceutical supply chain, putting pressure on local manufacturers and smaller pharmacies.
Triphasil, Nordette and Microval are among the contraceptive pills affected by supply constraints linked to manufacturing challenges at Aspen Pharmacare.
The Department of Health said the shortages were “primarily due to manufacturing challenges” at Aspen.
Clicks has also confirmed shortages of some Aspen contraceptive brands.
“Aspen has advised that certain oral contraceptive brands, including Triphasil and Nordette, are currently experiencing supply constraints,” said Graeme Leon, Clicks’ chief healthcare officer.
The shortage follows Aspen’s decision to decommission its East London facility that produced oral contraceptives.
The company said the affected products had become “economically unviable to continue producing”.
For smaller independent businesses, the disruption means having to look for alternative suppliers or products.
But the problem goes beyond pharmacies.
Local manufacturers under pressure
The shortage has highlighted concerns about South Africa’s ability to maintain local pharmaceutical production.
Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa (Pharmisa) chairperson Stavros Nicolaou told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition that the local pharmaceutical industry is “in crisis”.
“The only facility for making oral contraceptives has shut,” Nicolaou said.
He warned the country is losing important manufacturing capacity and argued that government procurement policies were making it difficult for local manufacturers to compete.
“We need long-term investment cycles that will promote technology transfer and foreign direct investment,” Nicolaou said.
Pharmisa has called for longer government contracts, arguing that manufacturers need certainty before making large investments in factories, equipment and technology.
This is important for smaller pharmaceutical businesses.
A small manufacturer cannot easily invest millions of rand in production capacity without knowing whether it will have a stable market for its medicines.
Black-owned businesses want access
The Black Pharmaceutical Industry Association (BPIA) says black-owned pharmaceutical businesses face additional barriers to participating in the industry.
The association represents more than two dozen black-owned companies, including manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies.
“We are discouraged from producing locally, not incentivised,” BPIA chairperson Kingsley Tloubatla said.
The association is calling for longer-term government contracts 10–20 years, instead of the three-year tenders currently awarded. Including faster registration of locally manufactured medicines to help black-owned businesses grow.
A reliable contract can provide the revenue certainty needed to employ staff, purchase equipment and expand operations for local businesses.
The impact on businesses
The contraceptive shortage shows how closely connected businesses in the pharmaceutical supply chain are.
Manufacturers produce medicines, wholesalers distribute them and pharmacies sell them to consumers. If something goes wrong at the manufacturing stage, every business further down the chain can feel the impact.
Reliable stock is important for small manufacturers because they compete with larger chains that may have greater purchasing power and access to alternative suppliers.
The debate over contraceptives is part of a debate about the local pharmaceutical manufacturers and whether they have enough room to manufacture, distribute and compete.
Nicolaou said the significance of the disruption was clear.
“The only facility for making oral contraceptives has shut,” he said.
