While treatments for whooping cough are already lacking, the ANSM has already asked laboratories not to deliver directly to pharmacies.
Medicine shortages are now part of everyday life for the French. The winter of 2022-2023 had been harsh, with a triple epidemic of Covid, flu and bronchiolitis. Last year was more lenient, but France nonetheless experienced supply tensions which focused on antibiotics.
To avoid shortages as much as possible this winter, the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) presented its second winter plan this Thursday. It provides for reinforced monitoring of medications that were missing in previous years. These include a number of antibiotics such as Amoxicillin, paracetamol, corticosteroids or medications intended for asthmatic patients. In any case, it is the forms intended for children that are most likely to be missed. This year adds to this long list treatments against whooping cough, in full resurgence.
Better distribute stocks
The ANSM plans to take several measures in the event that these medicines run out: possibility given to the pharmacist to provide substitution treatment, use of preparations made in pharmacies, quotas or importation of medicines. In the case of whooping cough treatments, which are already in short supply, the ANSM has already asked laboratories not to deliver directly to pharmacies, but to go through wholesalers-distributors. The objective is to prevent a small number of large pharmacies from monopolizing stocks.
