Woman with Crohn's Disease Cannot Obtain Subsidized Drug

A patient with a severe intestinal disease – Crohn«s disease – from the Novoanninsky district of Volgograd region cannot obtain her entitled subsidized medication. A prescription received in November turned out to be invalid due to the absence of the drug in the pharmacy.

According to the woman, she suffers from Crohn«s disease, has undergone four surgeries and removal of part of her intestine. She requires constant intake of the expensive drug Infiximab, which, according to her information, costs about 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,100 at current rates).

«I am a third-group disabled person, I receive Infiximab on a permanent basis. Every two months it should be issued to me. I got the prescription on November 21 last year. But it was never there. Complications started. It»s tolerable for now. I just itch at night, and skin cracks on my fingers,« says the woman. »In the pharmacy they say that the money ran out for its purchase, but how is that? The budget is planned for the year. The drug is expensive, about 100,000 rubles. I don«t have such money to buy it myself.»

In the health committee of Volgograd region, they stated that the necessary drug has already been purchased, but its delivery to pharmacy points has not been carried out yet. Officials promised to contact the patient in the near future to resolve the issue.

«Procurement for 2026 of the medicinal product has been carried out, contract concluded. In the near future, the arrival of the drug and its direction to patients in need is expected. There is no deficit of the drug on the market, all necessary measures are being taken for the fastest delivery of the drug to patients,» explained the department.

To explain why the woman could not get the medication in November and December 2024, the health committee refused.

A similar situation arose earlier with a 26-year-old Volgograd woman, also suffering from Crohn«s disease. To obtain life-necessary injections, she has to travel to Rostov-on-Don or Astrakhan. According to her mother, in December, the expensive drug was still at the procurement stage, and the timing of its appearance remained uncertain. The regional health department then assured that they are monitoring the situation.