Why drug shortages will last

By Anne Prigent

Published
yesterday at 6:57 p.m., Update yesterday at 23:07

For weeks, pharmacies have had difficulty obtaining supplies of paracetamol and amoxicillin. Below. Manufacture of amoxicillin capsules in a pharmacy in Paris. Paul Delort / Le Figaro/Masterful preparation

DECRYPTION – Paracetamol, antibiotics and many other products are out of stock. A crisis whose causes are deep.

Common drugs that are missing. For weeks, pharmacies have indeed had difficulty obtaining supplies of paracetamol and amoxicillin, a highly prescribed antibiotic. For the latter, the situation would be due to a sharp increase in demand, due to major winter epidemics, after two years of decline. “leading to a reduction or even a stoppage of certain production lines, which have not regained their pre-pandemic production capacity”notes the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM).

These amoxicillin shortages affecting all of Europe are expected to last until March. Proof of the seriousness of the situation, the ANSM multiplies the meetings with health professionals and patient representatives to follow the evolution of the situation. And put in place various measures, such as quotas, export bans, reminders of the limitation rule, etc. to avoid disaster.

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