2023-09-21 14:32:00
For almost a year, France has been facing great difficulties in supplying medicines. To avoid the risk of shortage, the government has already taken several measurements. Among them, the executive announced the relocation of certain medicines to France to avoid future crises. In addition, the executive also increased the price of amoxicillin, the best-selling antibiotic in France, so that in return the laboratories undertake to provide necessary stocks.
Recently, the government also announced the sale of antibiotics individually in certain cases. This announcement comes as part of the presentation of the Social Security budget which is due to be held next week.
Antibiotics: sale individually in case of shortage
In the event of supply tension, antibiotics will be delivered to the unit. Thus, the medicines concerned may no longer be sold in boxes but by pill directly. This information disclosed by France Info was confirmed by a source close to the matter: “There is no rationing. The idea is to make the distribution of medications to the unit compulsory when there is tension. But not all, only certain antibiotics“.
This unit sales technique has already been tested in the past. This was an experiment carried out by Inserm. Between November 2014 and 2015, 75 French community pharmacies carried out the experiment on around ten antibiotics. Following this, the possibility of dispensing certain medications individually was included in the anti-waste law of 2020. The system was made possible in 2022. Today, the government wants to make it mandatory in the event of supply problems. According to the executive, it is also a way of avoiding overconsumption. Indeed, France is part of the heaviest consumers of medicines.
Antibiotics: a screening obligation to avoid shortages?
In addition to this measure, another is being considered by the Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau. It is generalize screening tests as well as rapid diagnostic orientation tests (Trod), before purchasing certain antibiotics in order to avoid drug shortages.
In this case, a patient who goes to the pharmacy to take an antibiotic must first verify with a test that their illness is indeed of bacterial, non-viral origin. Thus, doctors might be led to prescribe antibiotics following the completion of a test. The government’s objective with this measure is above all to call on the French to take responsibility for themselves.
Mandatory antibiotic screenings: what do doctors think?
This decision is not necessarily unanimous among health professionals. “This is the kind of proposition that annoys“, explains on LCI Doctor Jean-Paul Hamon, honorary president of the Federation of Doctors of France. A decision which is useless for him: “Taking a test is not the only gesture we make when it comes to treating angina. This will not reduce the prescription of antibiotics, and it risks strengthen relationships between pharmacists and doctors“.
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