France to launch plan to tackle winter medicine shortages
We look at why shortages have been rising over the past few years and what is being done
Medicine shortages have been affecting France for several years
Busra Ispir/Shutterstock
France’s drugs regulator has said it is preparing a winter plan in a bid to limit the impact of ongoing drug shortages on patients.
A 2024 plan will be launched by the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) after a similar plan last winter.
New measures this year include requiring pharmacies to order children’s antibiotics from wholesalers rather than directly from laboratories. The aim is to ensure a better distribution of medicines across France.
The ANSM will also again monitor medicines including antibiotics, oral corticosteroids and asthma medication.
In 2023, drug stock shortages, or the risk of shortages, rose by 30%, with nearly 5,000 reports made to the ANSM, according to the regulator. All kinds of medicines are affected from antibiotics to drugs that treat heart disease.
The 2023 plan aimed to “anticipate and limit tensions on certain major winter medicines and therefore secure their availability to meet patient needs” states the ANSM website.
The 2024 plan will be adjusted to “strengthen the effectiveness” of the previous plan, the ANSM said in a statement.
Read more: What is the hold-up in dealing with medicine shortages in France?
In a meeting on July 11, the ANSM, pharmacists and others discussed last winter’s plan, as well as how to improve it for this winter.
The regulator concluded it was “essential that laboratories succeed in strengthening their production and supply capacities”.
Why are there shortages?
France has been suffering from medicine shortages for several years. One reason is the increase in outsourcing of drugs. Up to 80% of medicines used in France are produced outside the EU – mainly in China and India – compared to just 20% three decades ago.
This means if other countries outbid France, they will receive the medicines first, which explains why not every country is experiencing shortages.
Supply chain issues have also been caused by the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
President Macron has pledged to bring the production of key medicines back to France. He wants France to achieve “medical sovereignty” by 2030.
