Filenews 29 December 2022 - by Marilena Panayi
The whole of Europe is running out of medicines, especially antibiotics and antitussives, amid viruses and an unprecedented wave of respiratory infections. The European Medicines Agency has been sounding the alarm since late last week by officially informing that in 25 of the 27 EU Member States the shortages are already great and there are huge problems in dealing with patients. The situation is similar outside Europe, with the United States of America facing a problem with shortages of several pharmaceutical preparations while the same picture is recorded in China and Canada.
In Cyprus for the time being, as the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Elena Panayotopoulou, told "F", these deficiencies have not yet appeared, since any gaps are still adequately covered by the corresponding / generic formulations of the Cypriot pharmaceutical industries. The problem, however, as he said, is that "we should not expect that it will not touch Cyprus if the same situation continues throughout the world" and added that "for the proper monitoring of the situation and to be prepared, a relevant letter has already been sent to our local industries in order to inform us about the raw material reserves they have, so that we can generally plan as a state properly."
However, a huge problem arises in Greece where shortages of at least 500 drugs are recorded, with the country proceeding with an export ban on some preparations and Greek companies trying to meet the demand.
Deficiencies almost throughout the world are observed mainly in antibiotics with amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. Also, antipyretics, antitussive syrups, antiviral drugs, eye drops, antidepressants, the substance aripiprazole used in people with autism, depression, antidiabetics, antituberculous and anticancer drugs, up to simple painkillers and antipyretic preparations.
In France, measures have already been implemented to reduce the demand for antibiotics in cases of influenza and medicines are only administered to certain types of influenza after the patient has undergone a specific test. In Germany, measures have also been taken to strengthen the local pharmaceutical industry, and as reported by the country's media, antibiotics, anti-hypertension drugs and cancer, stomach and heart are missing from the market.
In Spain the shortages of medicines against infections and cardiovascular diseases are so great that a huge proportion of patients simply do not have access to medicines. In Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Norway, as shown by the latest research by the European Consumer Protection Agency (BEUC), there are serious shortages of antidepressants, medicines for cardiovascular diseases and infections.
According to EMA's briefing to all member states, these shortages, as the director of Pharmaceutical Services told "F", "are due to many factors mainly related to production, including raw materials, packaging materials and even staff shortages". Therefore, he explained, the competent European Agency, "recognizing the problem already faced by the majority of states, has since December 22 issued directives to all Member States with the aim of facilitating the access of doctors and patients to preparations that even in reduced quantities are produced by the pharmaceutical industry". The war in Ukraine also plays an important role in medicine shortages, since due to the energy crisis, factories have reduced their daily production.
Shortages outside the EU
In the United Kingdom, according to international news agencies, the Severe Deficiency Protocols for penicillin have been activated, allowing pharmacists to replace with any appropriate corresponding formulation at their disposal.
In China, there are huge shortages of ibuprofen, aspirin and simple painkillers, vitamin C and antitussives. In the United States there are almost no antibiotics with amoxicillin, drugs for the treatment of respiratory syndromes, anti-diabetes drugs and, above all, antitussive syrups. In Canada shelves have been emptied of cough syrups, antibiotics, as well as treatment preparations for childhood allergies.
