Russia is dealing with yet another crisis that will affect the health of millions of citizens

Unsurprisingly, the number of Russians dealing with depression has shot upwards since the beginning of Vladimir Putin’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. The country has become isolated and is struggling under Western sanctions.

Now, millions of Russian civilians are being dealt another hard blow. Many struggling with mental illness will have to go without medication as the country is running out of Prozac, a drug that is commonly used to treat depression. The US-based producer of the drug, Eli Lilly, stated it was leaving the Russian market this year in reaction to Russia’s war against Ukraine, Express reports.

How much of the medication is left?

To get an idea, let’s focus on the country’s two largest cities: in Moscow, 4 out of 2,400 pharmacies still have Prozac and in St Petersburg, only 2 do out of 1,300.

The situation is affecting a considerable number of Russians; the percentage of people taking the drug massively increased by 63% from 2021 to 2022. As Russia continues its war against Ukraine, thousands of soldiers have returned home injured or have died in combat, leaving loved ones mourning their loss.

Read more:Russia’s bizarre parting gift to Kim Jong-un after his successful six-day visit

What is Russia doing about this shortage?

The information was revealed by the Russian news outlet RBC, who stated that:

Experts attribute the increase in sales of antidepressants in general to the anxiety of Russians due to the news and economic background, the special military operation in Ukraine and the consequences of sanctions.

According to the National Library of Medicine:

Antidepressants can cause withdrawal syndromes if discontinued abruptly after prolonged use. Relapse and exacerbation of depression can also occur.

In order to avoid this happening across the Russian population, the Russian Health Ministry has approved around a dozen alternative drugs containing fluoxetine.

Prozac is not the only drug supply dwindling in the face of western sanctions. Verstka, an independent Russian media outlet, has revealed:

Only 30 percent of people with HIV in Russia will be able to receive antiretroviral therapy with the money remaining in the 2023 budget.

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Sources used:

Express: Russia depression surges during Ukraine war but country running out of Prozac to treat it

National Library of Medicine: Switching and stopping antidepressants