Russia runs out of Prozac as Putin’s war in Ukraine drives people to take antidepressants
- Last batch went on sale in June amid sanctions, supplies almost exhausted
- Demand for the drug increased 63 percent in the weeks after the invasion.
Russians are increasingly depressed by the crisis caused by Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, but they have run out of Prozac to treat this condition.
The drug is available only in four out of 2,400 pharmacies and points of sale in Moscow and in two out of 1,300 in St. Petersburg.
The sanctions mean that the last batch of Prozac went on sale in June and supplies are almost exhausted, according to a report by media outlet RBC.
Russians have relied on the drug since 1991, the end of the Soviet era, but its sales grew to a record amount in 2022, when Vladimir Putin declared his illegal war on Ukraine.
Demand for the drug increased 63 percent in the weeks after the invasion.
“Experts attribute the increase in sales of antidepressants in general to the anxiety of Russians about the news and the economic context, the special military operation in Ukraine and the consequences of sanctions,” the RBC report notes.
Families have been put under deep strain by Putin’s forced mobilization of tens of thousands of Russian men to war, while large numbers of them have returned from the conflict maimed or dead.
The sanctions mean that the last batch of Prozac went on sale in June and supplies are almost exhausted, according to a report by media outlet RBC. The website says “not in stock”
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, September 18, 2023
Families have been put under deep strain by Putin’s forced mobilization of tens of thousands of Russian men to war, while large numbers of them have returned from the conflict maimed or dead.
Putin’s Health Ministry has approved about a dozen alternative anti-depression medications containing fluoxetine.
The ministry claimed there was “no shortage” of other drugs despite the absence of Prozac.
Russians also face a growing shortage of premium Western products due to sanctions and self-imposed restrictions on sales.
The US company Eli Lilly, which produces Prozac, announced it would leave the Russian market in March amid Putin’s ongoing military operation.
Russia is also suffering from a shortage of cardiovascular drugs as Western companies limit supplies.
Medications to treat viral hepatitis C have disappeared from the Russian market due to Putin’s aggression, as have medications for epilepsy.
“Only 30 percent of people with HIV in Russia will be able to receive antiretroviral therapy with the remaining money in the 2023 budget,” Verstka reported.
Pro-war commentators responded to Russians relying on antidepressants.
“Let them go to the special military operation, there the depression will disappear,” said one comment.
“Drink vodka,” said another, while a man named Andrei urged depressed Russians to rely on “sex, vodka and meat.”
