Black market drug network uncovered by 12punto brought to the Turkish Parliament

Hazal Güven - 12punto.com.tr

A new scandal has been added to the list of illegal sales conducted via social media that threaten human health. In the report uncovered by 12punto, it was observed that drugs required by cancer, dialysis, or psychiatric patients were being sold through a channel opened on the Telegram application by an individual of Ukrainian origin.

Numerous drugs that require red and green prescriptions, which should normally be used under doctor supervision, are being offered to customers through the opened Telegram channel.

The black market drug network, which 12punto exposed with documents, has been brought to the agenda of the Turkish Parliament. CHP Gaziantep MP Hasan Öztürkmen submitted a parliamentary question to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu to answer.

BLACK MARKET DRUG NETWORK ON THE PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA

The parliamentary question submitted by CHP's Hasan Öztürkmen is as follows:

“TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TURKEY

I kindly request that my following questions be answered in writing by the Minister of Health, Mr. Kemal Memişoğlu, in accordance with Article 98 of the Constitution and Article 96 of the Rules of Procedure.

The scale of the drug crisis experienced by cancer patients in Turkey is increasing day by day. Information continues to arrive that drugs, which cancer patients have great difficulty accessing, are being sold illegally through social media channels.

According to the report by Hazal Güven published on 12Punto, the drug named Reampla, which cancer patients in Turkey have difficulty obtaining, is being marketed by an individual of Ukrainian origin via Telegram and Instagram (Account name: farmatsevtyka.z.turechchyny). Not only Reampla, but also cancer drugs named Femera and Emend, as well as numerous drugs with red and green prescriptions that dialysis and psychiatric patients need to use, are being marketed in the same way. Many drugs that are not available in pharmacies or in the stocks of pharmaceutical warehouses in Turkey are being sold at exorbitant prices using this method.

On the other hand, reports on the subject create suspicions that the drugs sold without prescriptions via Telegram and Instagram are being obtained from certain pharmaceutical warehouses and pharmacies in Turkey.

In this context;

1- While cancer patients in need cannot access the cancer drug named Reampla, which is not found in the stocks of pharmaceutical warehouses or pharmacies, how can it be sold in Telegram groups?

2- How did these drugs fall into the hands of opportunists? From which pharmaceutical warehouses or pharmacies were they purchased?

3- How many units of Reampla are there in pharmaceutical warehouses in Turkey? Between 01.01.2024 and 05.12.2024, how many units of Reampla entered pharmaceutical warehouses in Turkey, how many were distributed, and to whom and to which pharmacies were they given?

4- What do you plan to do to prevent illegal drug sales and ensure easy access to the drugs that cancer patients are forced to use?

Atty. Hasan ÖZTÜRKMEN

Gaziantep MP”

News Source: Hazal Güven