Empty refrigerators and others still well stocked. As a result of a more severe epidemic than in previous years, the demand for flu vaccines is experiencing a surge in pharmacies. The disparity in available stocks, which varies from one pharmacy to another in the territory, partly reflects the particular logistics that apply to these products.
Unlike the majority of health products, which are sold and restocked throughout the year, flu vaccines, due to their seasonal nature and long manufacturing time – it takes six to eight months to produce a vaccine – are ordered in one go. With one specificity: 90% of the volumes dispensed in France are orders placed directly by pharmacists to pharmaceutical laboratories.
Every year, in February, pharmacists are asked to send their order forms for the upcoming fall-winter campaign to the pharmaceutical laboratories that produce them (Sanofi, Viatris and GSK). With one difficulty: assessing the future needs of their patients as accurately as possible to avoid ending up with unsold items.
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