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Since Thursday, October 20, patients can only receive two boxes of paracetamol in pharmacies. With global demand increasing, supply is tight.
Paracetamol is the best-selling drug in France. However, on Friday October 21, Doliprane, Dafalgan and Efferalgan are rare, to the point that their sale is limited to two boxes per customer. “We were delivered in a very limited way”, says Elsa Sebbane, pharmacist (Paris). A shortage is not yet to be feared and the drug agency speaks of a tension in supplies. A surplus of requests linked to winter and Covid-19 must therefore be anticipated.
“People take a lot of paracetamol. There is an explosion in global and French demand and the industry can no longer supply”, explains Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions France. Laboratories are reassuring. However, they do not control all of the production, because the active ingredients come from abroad: China, the United States or India. “Demand has increased, so have prices too. But we are able to supply all countries”says Shantanu Kumar Singh, executive director of Taj Pharma (India).