2023-09-20 13:09:49
In anticipation of winter, pharmacists will soon be forced to only distribute certain antibiotics individually, during periods of tension.
A direct consequence of shortages affecting certain medications. As France Info revealed this Wednesday, the government will make the individual distribution of certain antibiotics compulsory during supply difficulties. A system already partially authorized in France since May 2022.
“The idea is to make the distribution of drugs to the unit compulsory when there is tension. But not all, only certain antibiotics,” a source close to the matter told BFMTV.
The list of antibiotics concerned not yet known
In practice, therefore, a person who has received a prescription for an antibiotic from their doctor will not be able to receive a full box, but will receive a single pill. However, the list of molecules concerned is not known.
The government’s objective: the “responsibility” of the French for the use of medicines, and therefore, to prevent boxes from being claimed without being (entirely) consumed. According to the International Institute for Anti-Counterfeit Medicine Research (IRACM), in 2019 a French person wasted 1.5 kg of medicines per year on average.
Finally, the government also put forward the argument of the fight against antibiotic resistance. Pharmacists have already shown in the past their discomfort with single-unit distribution projects. And this, both for health and logistical reasons. Pharmacists will also soon be able to directly prescribe certain antibiotics.
Other solutions to shortages
To alleviate the shortages experienced by certain molecules, Bercy works with pharmaceutical manufacturers to resolve problems with the delivery of raw materials or poor inventory management. Roland Lescure, the Minister Delegate in charge of Industry, also announced that hospital pharmacies will eventually be able to produce more medicines directly:
“Provisions will also be made to have increased production capacities in health establishments and city pharmacies in the event of supply tensions on a product,” he announced this Wednesday to the Echos.
In this same interview, the delegate minister also suggested that the government could force manufacturers to “give up the exploitation of the drug for two years to a public structure free of charge”.
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