2024-07-30 07:13:16
Winter is still far away, but health authorities are already working to avoid new drug shortages in French pharmacies. Starting this summer, pharmacies will offer pediatric amoxicillin only through wholesale distributors.
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“The shift to distribution exclusively by wholesalers-distributors must promote a fair distribution of pharmacy stocks in mainland France”Pierre-Olivier Farenq, Director of the Support Center for Emergencies, Health Alerts and Risk Management at the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Healthcare products (ANSM) pointed out.
Until now, pharmacists could cut out these middlemen and order products directly from pharmaceutical laboratories. Normally, this doesn’t cause any problems. But during a crisis, like the pediatric amoxicillin crisis observed over the past two years, direct sales can quickly cause chaos. Because stock distribution among pharmacies is not guaranteed, unlike wholesale distributors, this could lead to supply differences among France’s 20,000 pharmacies.
‘The situation is chaotic’
This winter, the drug police awarded ‘The situation is chaotic’ Amoxicillin emerged not because manufacturers lacked stock; “Deregulation of the distribution system”. To keep things in order, he then ordered the lab to limit direct sales to 20% of production. An even more radical measure was announced by ANSM on Tuesday, banning the direct sale of amoxicillin to children.
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The health authorities decided on July 11 after organizing consultations with all stakeholders in the industry (industrialists, pharmacists, wholesalers and distributors) as part of the winter plan implemented by the government. The latter, to be implemented in 2023, aims to anticipate and limit tensions caused by certain drugs that are widely used during the cold season, such as amoxicillin.
The current choice to limit this measure to pediatric amoxicillin is due to the difficulties that still exist with this antibiotic. “We’re not quite back to normal yet, although as winter approaches things are a little more comfortable than in the previous two seasons”please note M. Farenq.
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