2023-04-29 15:37:00
“A quick, reliable and permanent solution to the Europe-wide shortage of medicines is urgently needed!” There is a shortage of fever and pain medication or penicillin for children.
Pediatricians from several European countries – including doctors from Austria – have appealed in a letter to the health ministers of their countries to take action against the shortage of pediatric medicines. “The health of our children and young people is at risk throughout Europe due to the lack of medicines. A quick, reliable and permanent solution is urgently needed!”, It says in the letter that became known on Saturday.
The letter is dated April 27th and is addressed to the ministers of health in Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland and South Tyrol (Italy) and is signed by the pediatrician associations there. The German physician Thomas Fischbach was one of the co-signers. There is a lack of fever and pain medication in dosage forms suitable for children. The antibiotic penicillin does not currently exist either, he told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
Bad second-choice antibiotics in use
Antibiotics are prescribed, for example, for pneumonia, urinary tract infections or scarlet fever. According to the German professional association, if the right preparation is not available, a second or third choice antibiotic must be used, which is less effective and increases the risk of antibiotic resistance developing.
In their letter, the doctors warn: “The bottlenecks of the last few months mean that treatments that are neither suitable for children nor based on therapy guidelines are possible.” The health of children and young people is thereby endangered in the long term. Just a few years ago, this scenario of a supply shortage was “not even remotely” imaginable.
Refusal for pharmacies to produce themselves
The shortage of antibiotic juices for children was also an issue in Austria. In March, even the Chamber of Pharmacists called for raw materials to be bought abroad so that pharmacies can produce the drugs themselves. The responsible Ministry of Health promptly rejected it at the time. The department was initially unavailable for comment on Saturday.
>> Too cheap: why painkillers are now missing in Austria
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