Medicines to treat flu and colds have been bought so intensively in Romania in recent weeks that pharmacies have been unable to fully cover the growing demand. Although pharmacies have replenished their stocks on time, in some cases the shelves are empty in just a day, BTA reports.
The problems are also felt in hospitals, where infectious departments are overcrowded with patients suffering from respiratory diseases, Romanian TV channel Digi 24 reports.
Currently, only 1.1 million people out of Romania's population of more than 19 million have been vaccinated against the flu. According to doctors, however, the number of vaccinated people should be at least three times higher.
Antiviral drugs and flu tests are among the best-selling products in pharmacies, and their demand remains huge, the television station notes.
Pharmacist Anda Vija told Digi 24 that there is already a shortage of medications in the pharmacy network.
Romania is in the midst of the flu season, with the manager of the Victor Babes Infectious Diseases Hospital in Timisoara, Cristian Oancea, reporting that the hospital's beds are about 90 percent occupied.
According to the National Institute of Public Health, over 170,000 cases of viral infections and flu have been confirmed in the last week.
Since the start of the season, 35 people have died from flu across the country, Digi 24 adds.