Thanks to the arrival of new stocks, the Minister of Health promises a return to normal very soon. It now intends to anticipate crises and prevent future shortages.
For several months, shortages have weighed on the supply of medicines. Two products, widely used by the French, concentrate concerns: pediatric versions of paracetamol and amoxicillin, the most prescribed antibiotic in the country.
Despite the drop in intensity of the triple epidemic Covid-19, influenza and bronchiolitis, tensions remain high. This Friday, the Ministry of Health announced various measures to improve the immediate situation, but also to prevent future possible crises.
• Stock back “within two weeks”
In the immediate future, François Braun explains this Friday on Europe 1 that “we have recovered stocks of paracetamol, so we are out of this period of crisis in the next two weeks”.
Concerning amoxicillin, “in close collaboration with manufacturers in the sector, it is thus planned to make available within two weeks one million vials of amoxicillin (representing one month of additional national consumption) to continue to alleviate tensions “, explains the Ministry of Health.
“Pharmacists will receive 750,000 additional boxes of amoxicillin delivered by Biogaran from February 6,” the generic laboratory told AFP. “In total for the month of February, we are going to distribute 1,090,000 boxes over three references,” he added.
These future deliveries are explained, according to the minister, by “the work done by the manufacturers, who have activated the entire production chain”.
In addition, measures taken urgently by the government “remain in force”, like the quota of stocks, the ban on exports by wholesalers, magistral preparations by pharmacists or even regular information to prescribers.
• Better transparency
In a press release published this Friday, the ministry announces that it has held “a steering committee to take stock of the situation” and to “identify concrete solutions to guarantee the continued availability of the drugs necessary for the population”. This means, beyond the current crisis, finding the means to fight against the next potential periods of shortage.
In this regard, the authorities want to improve information and communication with, in particular, “greater transparency on the availability of health products, from production to distribution in pharmacies, improved information for the French on the situation, including territorialized, of a reinforcement of the information of the patients directly concerned”.
François Braun asked “for the month of June” to the sector to establish “the list of all essential drugs”. The government wants to be able to quickly identify in the future “all the places where there may be problems”, he said. “We are anticipating next winter, even if it means making preliminary stocks”.
• Reinforce autonomy and industrial sovereignty
A sensitive issue raised in particular at the start of the Covid-19 crisis, industrial sovereignty over the production of drugs is also singled out.
The Ministry of Health announces “a strengthening of the sovereignty strategy carried through the ‘France 2030’ investments”. The objective is thus to strengthen the country’s autonomy and industrial sovereignty in terms of medicines, in particular by “relocating to France the production of certain strategic medicines as well as their active ingredients”.
• Allow price increases
The government announced on Friday that it would authorize price increases for certain essential generics, in order to encourage manufacturers to continue their production in a context of supply tensions.
The Ministries of Health and Industry will make price increases “in return for commitments from manufacturers to secure supply to the French market”, they said in a joint press release on Friday.
They also announced a moratorium on price reductions for generics considered strategic from an industrial and health perspective.
• The establishment of a “white drug plan”
If the current shortage seems to be reduced, the health authorities want at all costs to avoid finding themselves in a comparable situation in the future. During the health crisis, “white plans” were activated on several occasions in French hospitals. It is an emergency tool for quickly mobilizing resources in the event of an influx of patients or victims.
François Braun intends to develop “within three months”, a “white drug plan”, which can be activated in the event of an exceptional situation. Contacted by BFMTV.com, the ministry could not, for the moment, provide more details on this future device.
• Ensure proper use of medications
According to the Ministry of Health, “France is displaying completely new levels of drug consumption compared to its European partners”. In 2020, the expenditure on medicines by the French represented 30 billion euros, i.e. an average of 445€ per inhabitant, reports the government.
Faced with this, François Braun announces that “specific work will be carried out on the issues associated with the proper use of drugs”. This new roadmap to combat shortages of health products will be presented no later than June 2023, according to the executive.
