Prepare for virus before things get worse

The local market regulation administration in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, has asked the over 500 local pharmacies to open packages of anti-fever drugs such as ibuprofen and sell them loose, in order to cope with the shortage of drugs during the latest outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authorities said on Sunday that the prices of drugs must be controlled, citizens must register with their identity cards while purchasing them, and the amount of ibuprofen capsules purchased for one ID card cannot exceed six for seven days.

That's a timely move to ease the shortage of drugs during the latest outbreak. As the Omicron strain causes fever in patients, it has pushed up the nationwide demand for anti-fever drugs, but the pharmaceutical factories are yet to ramp up manufacturing, leading to a temporary shortage of such drugs.

Fearing unavailability of these drugs during an emergency, many have tried to hoard it while some pharmacies have jacked up prices to make additional profits.

That's why the Zhuhai administration's move is praiseworthy. Making pharmacies sell the drugs by capsule, and not boxes, and setting a ceiling on drug prices and the number of capsules one can buy, can effectively ensure a hassle-free drug supply.

That's what some other cities have been doing, too. In Beijing municipality alone, fines have been issued to pharmacies that were illegally jacking up prices of anti-fever drugs.

More cities should implement such moves. The authorities should also coordinate with pharmaceutical companies to accelerate production, arrange more hands to help logistical companies recover their capabilities, as well as organize hospitals to open more fever clinics to help more patients.

On Sunday, Wang Guangfa, a senior doctor and director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care at Peking University Hospital, called for places where the pandemic condition is not yet grave to make preparations in advance.

Time for everyone to take heed to avoid tragedies.