[:it]HEALTH, MEDICATIONS FOR TRANS WOMEN ARE UNAVAILABLE. ARCIGAY: "THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS INADEQUATE, A VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO HEALTH."” Bologna, May 15, 2019 – “For months, an intolerable situation has been observed for FtoM trans people: the shortage of testosterone-based drugs essential for maintaining their health,” denounced Gabriele Piazzoni, general secretary of Arcigay. He continues: "The situation, caused by the shortage of nearly all currently used drugs, only one of which has recently been reintroduced (Sustanon), is the result of a combination of several structural factors that must be resolved as quickly as possible by the national health system, of which both local health facilities and the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) are a part. While it's true that the two drugs still in short supply, Testoviron and Nebid, are both produced and distributed by Bayer, which is technically responsible for this shortage, it's equally clear that something structurally wrong is happening in our healthcare system, which is proving to be clearly inadequate, blatantly violating the right to health. On the one hand, there's the problem of drug unavailability, and on the other, there's the issue of affordability, a factor connected to the more structural issue of the therapeutic indications currently provided for these drugs and therefore reimbursement. On the first issue, we first ask AIFA and the Ministry to convene Bayer for a joint analysis of the information it has provided on the drug shortage and to learn any new information. on the evolution of the situation. Both the uncertainty regarding the end of this emergency and the extent of the delays currently foreseen, a phenomenon that appears to be predominantly Italian, have become intolerable. At this point, simple information is no longer sufficient; assurances are needed that the drugs will actually return to the market without further delays. Furthermore, it is unacceptable that most healthcare facilities have not yet activated the necessary channels to procure Nebid and Testoviron from abroad, following the declared authorization from AIFA to proceed in this way. We therefore urge the Ministry, the Regions, and local healthcare facilities to urgently implement all necessary measures to ensure the timely activation of the procedures for importing medicines available abroad. Finally, this emergency has exposed a structural problem that has long impacted the health of trans people. Since gender dysphoria is not currently among the authorized therapeutic indications for these medicines, despite them being essential for the therapeutic and health transition process, we are effectively stuck in a situation where: paradoxical situation of partial invisibility of trans people for the healthcare system that unloads on them the cost of a structural inadequacy to guarantee therapeutic treatment in a fair way: the situation regarding the reimbursement of drugs is in fact confusing and patchy across Italy. In short, in addition to the contingent issue of the unavailability of drugs, many people still have to literally make do in an unfair system to still have only the minimum treatment with therapies that are perhaps outdated but more economically accessible, with de facto violation of their fundamental right to health. Since AIFA already has on the table a request for evaluation of the inclusion of 11 drugs used for the treatment of gender dysphoria in the lists of drugs reimbursed for therapeutic indications other than those already authorized, we ask that this procedure be given priority and urgency,“ concludes Piazzoni.[:en]*HEALTH, DRUGS FOR TRANS ARE UNAVAILABLE. ARCIGAY: ”INADEQUATE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO HEALTH“* *Bologna, May 15, 2019* – ”For months, an intolerable situation has been recorded for FtoM trans people: the shortage of testosterone-based drugs essential for maintaining their state of health“: this is what Gabriele Piazzoni, general secretary of Arcigay, denounces. He continues: "The situation, caused by the shortage of nearly all currently used drugs, only one of which has recently been reintroduced (Sustanon), is the result of a combination of several structural factors that must be resolved as quickly as possible by the national health system, of which both local health facilities and the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) are a part. While it's true that the two drugs still in short supply, Testoviron and Nebid, are both produced and distributed by Bayer, which is technically responsible for this shortage, it's equally clear that something structurally wrong is happening in our healthcare system, which is proving to be clearly inadequate, blatantly violating the right to health. On the one hand, there's the problem of drug unavailability, and on the other, there's the issue of affordability, a factor connected to the more structural issue of the therapeutic indications currently provided for these drugs and therefore reimbursement. On the first issue, we first ask AIFA and the Ministry to convene Bayer for a joint analysis of the information it has provided on the drug shortage and to learn any new information. on the evolution of the situation. Both the uncertainty regarding the end of this emergency and the extent of the delays currently foreseen, a phenomenon that appears to be predominantly Italian, have become intolerable. At this point, simple information is no longer sufficient; assurances are needed that the drugs will actually return to the market without further delays. Furthermore, it is unacceptable that most healthcare facilities have not yet activated the necessary channels to procure Nebid and Testoviron from abroad, following the declared authorization from AIFA to proceed in this way. We therefore urge the Ministry, the Regions, and local healthcare facilities to urgently implement all necessary measures to ensure the timely activation of the procedures for importing medicines available abroad. Finally, this emergency has exposed a structural problem that has long impacted the health of trans people. Since gender dysphoria is not currently among the authorized therapeutic indications for these medicines, despite them being essential for the therapeutic and health transition process, we are effectively stuck in a situation where: "The paradox of partial invisibility of trans people for the healthcare system that passes on to them the cost of a structural inadequacy to guarantee therapeutic treatment in a fair manner: the situation regarding the reimbursement of drugs is in fact confusing and patchy across Italy. In short, in addition to the contingent issue of the unavailability of drugs, many people still have to literally make do in an unfair system to receive only the minimum treatment with therapies that are perhaps outdated but more economically accessible, thus effectively violating their fundamental right to health. Since AIFA already has on the table a request for evaluation of the inclusion of 11 drugs used for the treatment of gender dysphoria in the lists of drugs reimbursed for therapeutic indications other than those already authorized, we ask that this procedure be given priority and urgency," concludes Piazzoni.
