9 Jun 2010
Medicines Needed in Haiti – A call for help
Hi all,
I got the list below from Susan and I wanted to post it here as quickly as possible.
If you can help with any of those items, please send them directly to our Colorado office (see below for the address). If any of them need “special handling” (as in like need to stay cool or something – I don’t know, I’m not a doctor), let me know and we can try to hook you up with someone who can bring them in directly. Does that make sense?
Let’s do what we can and get them not only enough for them but enough that they can share these medicines with others as well. I’m willing to guarantee that if they need these, others do as well.
Thanks!
Tom Vanderwell
Aciclovir (200mg) Dispersible
Aciclovir 5% cream
Albendazole 400mg chewable
Azithromycin (200mg/5ml) Powder for Suspension
Ceftriaxone (500mg) powder for injection
Co-trimoxazole 200mg + 40mg/5ml Oral suspension (we use this regularly and it is no longer available in Haiti)
Diazepam 10mg/2ml for injection
Epinephrine 1mg/ml for injection
Fluconazole 50mg/5ml (maybe 10 bottles)
Folic Acid 5mg
Metronidazole (125mg/5ml) Suspension (Again, we use a lot of this and can no longer buy it in Haiti)
Prazinquantel (600mg)
Vitamine A 50 000iu gel capsules
Vitamine A 100 000 iu gel capsules
Vitamine B compound 2ml for injection
Vit K1 (1mg/1ml) for injection (I need this quite urgently). It is very expensive to buy in the USA.
Zink Dispersible 20mg (maybe 200 tabs).
Shipping Address:
God’s Littlest Angels
2275 Waynoka Drive Suite D
Colorado Springs, CO 80915
Most of these meds sound like Rx stuff–you won’t find them online or at a store. We need someone to tug at a pharmacy’s heart or a drug manufacturer.
Anne
June 9th, 2010 at 3:51 ampermalink
What is the best place online to purchase some of the items on the list? I can’t seem to find Vitamin A as potent as is listed, and when I find Vitamin K that is made for injecting, I find it for animals. So, please let me know where I can purchase some of these items. Thanks!
Ben
Ben Jones
June 9th, 2010 at 7:33 ampermalink
Ben,
I don’t know, but I’ll see what we can find out.
Thanks!
Tom
Tom Vanderwell
June 9th, 2010 at 7:38 ampermalink
Anne,
You are probably right, I don’t know. But if they are, then we need people to ask, “Who do I know who might work for a pharmacy?” Or “Who do I know who works for a drug manufacturer?” Or…….
Let’s all think outside the box and make this happen.
Thanks!
Tom
Tom Vanderwell
June 9th, 2010 at 9:06 ampermalink
We adopted from HCRM in Haiti and have friends who adopted from GLA. One of them posted about this need on FB. My husband works for a surgery center and orders all the drugs/supplies. I’ll pass this on to him and see if the center would like to donate any of the needed medications. He also has to deal with drug reps, so I’ll see if he can hit any of them up for some of the meds. I love tangible ways to help – praying is awesome, but I feel better when I can DO something! Thanks for this opportunity!
Jennifer Foley
June 9th, 2010 at 10:36 ampermalink
I just got this from Susan as an update:
Thank you. The medicines I listed were available through a medical supply company in the Netherlands. I am not sure whether it will be possible to purchase some of these things online. I do know that there are some (not very reputable companies) who will sell prescription items without a prescription to anyone. Those companies charge exorbitant prices and I would discourage anyone from going down that Route!
To answer Ben’s specific questions: Vitamin K is a prescription item and honestly, I don’t know if you can even buy those megadose vitamin A pills in North America. They are used in parts of the world with high rates of malnutrition/AIDS – vitamine A deficinecy is catastophic to the immune system.
It is possible that family Doctors/Pediatricians would consider prescribing 1 bottle/box of some of the prescription items on the list, if people who are coming into GLA explain that these things are needed by a Haitian orphanage. At the moment, I have a critical shortage of Flagyl (metronidazole) suspension for the babies at the main house. We use this regularly. We used to buy Flagyl suspension by the box in Haiti. It was manufactured in here before the earthquake but I understand that the pharamceutical plant that produced it was severely damaged on January the 12th……..
Tom Vanderwell
June 9th, 2010 at 11:00 ampermalink
Maybe we could look into asking family Doctors office to obtain samples from North American Drug Companies of these items.
Sometimes packaged items not for sale could be easier to obtain. I will update if I find out more on this.
Emily Days
June 10th, 2010 at 9:09 ampermalink