“We also need to have short-term solutions,” said Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France, on franceinfo. “We need on health and in particular on the drug, to have an independence at least European”.
“It’s a very, very important project, but in the medium term. We’ll see the benefits in ten years. It’s important to relocate, it’s even essential. But we also need short-term solutions”, said Tuesday, June 13 on franceinfo Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France (FSPF), while Emmanuel Macron undertakes to relocate the production of 50 drugs. From the Ardèche, the President of the Republic presented a plan to regain pharmaceutical sovereignty. France is facing a shortage of medicines.
>> Relocation of drugs to France: follow the live
“We have to manage to regain our strategic independence on these products”he said, but “we have to play on stocks, we have to play on the complementarity of the doctor-pharmacist in order to be able to possibly have therapeutic alternatives” And “pharmaceutical laboratories must be transparent about the state of their stocks”he estimated.
Independence from France “is vital” in the same way as on “aviation, space, armament” Or “on energy”according to him. “We need on health and in particular on medicine, to have at least European independence”he recommended.
Investing to avoid “the shortages of tomorrow”
The relocation of the production of 50 drugs to France will take between several months and several years depending on the situation, estimated on franceinfo Thierry Hulot, president of the professional organization of Pharmaceutical Companies (LEEM) and CEO of Meerk France. “Industrial time, unfortunately, is a long time, but it is by investing today that we will avoid tomorrow’s shortages”he explains.
The President of the Republic assured that half of these drugs would see “their production relocated or increased significantly in the coming weeks”. “If it is a question of putting new equipment in a factory so that it produces more, it takes a few months, because you have to order the equipment, validate it and have it qualified by the health authorities. “explains Thierry Hulot. “If you have to build a new building, you can imagine all the necessary authorizations, it can take two or three years. If you build a factory from a field, it can take four or five years”specifies the president of LEEM.
“Diversifying supplies”
“Relocating to a single producer is a risk even in France, even in Europe”, estimates Catherine Simonon, administrator of the League against cancer and member of the office of France Assos Santé, on franceinfo. Catherine Simonin fears shortages, despite this relocation, if the sole producer is no longer able to supply enough drugs. “We have to think about the whole industrial chain”, “identify risk areas” And “diversify supplies”she explains.
To avoid the risk of shortages and therefore loss of opportunity for patients who cannot find treatment, the associations of which Catherine Simonin is a member require four months of safety stock. In Le Parisien, the Minister of Health François Braun revealed a list of 450 “essential drugs” for which “Industrialists will have to have four months of stock”. Until then, there was only two months of stock for several thousand drugs of major therapeutic interest.