2024-07-30 07:13:16
Winter is still far away, but health authorities are already working to avoid shortages of new medicines in French pharmacies. From this summer, pharmacies will be supplied with pediatric amoxicillin exclusively through wholesale distributors.
“Going to exclusive distribution by wholesalers-distributors must promote fair distribution of products in pharmacies in mainland France”specified Pierre-Olivier Farenq, director of the Support Center for emergency situations, health alerts and risk management within the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM).
Until now, pharmacists can free themselves from these middlemen and order their products directly from pharmaceutical companies. Normally, this action is not a problem. But during crises, like the one observed with pediatric amoxicillin two years ago, direct sales can cause chaos. Because, unlike distributors, no regular distribution of products between pharmacies is guaranteed, which can lead to a lack of supply among the 20,000 pharmacies in France.
“State of Chaos”
This winter, the drug police gave the award “chaos” of amoxicillin is not to lack of stock among manufacturers, but to a “Distribution System Massacre”. To set things in order, he then ordered hospitals to limit direct sales to 20% of their production. The measure announced this Tuesday by the ANSM, which bans these direct sales in the case of pediatric amoxicillin, is more radical.
Decided following a consultation organized on July 11 by the health authority with all stakeholders in the sector (companies, pharmaceuticals, wholesalers-distributors), it is part of the winter plan made by the government. Implemented in 2023, the latter aims to anticipate and limit pressures on certain drugs that are widely used in the cold season, such as amoxicillin.
The choice to limit, for the time being, this dose to baby amoxicillin is explained by the problems that are still observed today with this antibiotic. “We have not completely returned to normal, even if, as the winter season approaches, the situation is more comfortable compared to what we experienced in the previous two seasons.”note M. Farenq.
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