A whooping cough epidemic has been underway across the country since the summer. The tensions «focused on pediatric forms» macrolides, but «today, we also see tensions on adult forms», warns the ANSM.
The class of antibiotics favored in the first line to treat whooping cough, macrolides, is one of the drugs to be closely monitored during this winter season, the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) indicated on Thursday. “We are facing a whooping cough epidemic with very high consumption of this class of antibiotics, hence the importance of being able to have fairly reinforced monitoring of these molecules”declared Pierre-Olivier Farenq, director of the ANSM crisis center, during a press briefing on the 2024/2025 winter plan.
The agency noted “an increase in prescriptions by doctors and therefore in dispensations in pharmacies, of the antibiotic which is the first line in the treatment of whooping cough”from the macrolide class. A whooping cough epidemic has been underway across the country since the summer. The tensions “focused on pediatric forms” macrolides, but “today, we also see tensions on adult forms” due to this “atypical and significant consumption, which takes place over time”adds Olivier Farenq. “A certain number of measures are being discussed”according to him, to limit the impact of these tensions, such as recommendations for good prescription, good use, prevention, the use of masterful preparations, importation and quotas.
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“Ensure equitable distribution”
The ANSM has already asked laboratories to “favor the supply of pharmacies by wholesale distributors in order to ensure equitable distribution of available boxes”. For the upcoming winter season, the agency is maintaining reinforced monitoring of antibiotics including amoxicillin, paracetamol in its pediatric form, corticosteroids and medications against asthma, flagship products which have experienced strong drug tensions. supply over the past few winters.
The winter plan, launched by the medicines watchdog for the first time in 2023/2024, aims to anticipate and limit supply tensions for health products during the winter season, which is generally more conducive to the circulation of viruses. Despite a winter epidemiological season which was “more favorable and less early” last year compared to the winter of 2022/2023, France still experienced tensions which “focused on antibiotics”recalls the ANSM.
