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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) denies reported shortage of medicine for symptomatic treatment, like analgesics, amid the increasing cases of COVID-19 and assures supplies will normalize soon.

"The sudden increase in demand at the start of the New Year was really beyond the normal levels of the inventory of the drugstores. That is why there were stock outs. That is why the people thought there was a shortage but actually it was just called stock out because the inventory ran out because of the sudden increase in demand," Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said during the Talk to The People on Thursday.

These medicine, usually brought over the counter in drugstores, usually ease headache, fever, colds and cough.

"But eventually because there were no supply of (the) top brand, even the generics ran out in the stores where people go but it doesn't mean there is shortage. Because when we say shortage it should be in the whole country. So that is not the situation, it's just out of stock in those drug store," he said.

Lopez assures supplies will normalize as delivery in some drugstores has started on Thursday.

"Big drug stores like Watsons, Southstar started the delivery in their branches yesterday. So they started to replenish. The big manufacturer, Unilab, also delivers medicine to Mercury Drug, as you know it is one of the biggest drug stores and it started today," he said.

"I have assured the public since two days ago when this problem came out we have big production capacity of the local drug manufacturers. Very sufficient. So we asked them to fast track the delivery," said Lopez.

"The problem started last Monday, actions were already made as of Wednesday, it (delivery) started yesterday and it will continue until the stock level normalizes. Maybe now until the weekend it will fill up, the supplies of paracetamol will normalize," he added.

Lopez also advised drug stores to order larger number of supplies as the demand is expected to increase because of the increasing COVID-19 cases and the Omicron variant in the country. Robina Asido/DMS