With the exceptional resurgence of Covid-19 cases in China, the country, the main exporter of paracetamol, could reserve its drugs for its population.
“An epidemic of terrible magnitude.” Brigitte Autran, president of the Committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks (Covars), confirmed that, in the context of the explosion of Covid-19 contaminations in China, “there is a paracetamol problem in France”.
Many drugs, including paracetamol, are made in Chinese factories and some of them have stopped exports and reserved – at the request of Beijing, according to several media like RTL – their medicines to Chinese patients.
But these supply tensions have lasted for several weeks, even before the lifting of the “zero-Covid” strategy, at the beginning of December, by China.
A European reaction?
According to Brigitte Autran, supply difficulties are not felt only in France, but “throughout Europe”.
“I hope that all the measures that are being developed in Europe to try to become independent will become effective,” said the president of Covars, formerly Scientific Council.
Even if the President of the Republic has decided to “set up paracetamol factories in France” so that the country is autonomous. These will only see the light of day in 2024-2025, added the immunologist.
Supply difficulties for several weeks
In mid-December, the Ministry of Health indicated that supply tensions affecting pediatric forms of paracetamol and certain antibiotics should persist for a few more weeks at least, while the measures taken by the health authorities bear fruit.
For paracetamol, the situation was still “complex”, and would take “a little time to normalize on pediatric forms”, indicated the Ministry of Health during a press briefing. On the other forms for adults, “the situation has become more comfortable”, he specified.
