Brussels wants to impose shortage prevention plans on manufacturers

The European Commission wants to force pharmaceutical companies to draw up plans to prevent drug shortages, an issue affecting the whole of the EU, as part of a reform presented on Wednesday (April 26th). Brussels also plans to draw up a list of essential medicines, which can then serve as the basis for an obligation to build up stocks.

“Over the past decade, reported shortages of medicines, including antibiotics, have skyrocketed to number in the tens of thousands”underlined the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, in unveiling a long-awaited revision of the pharmaceutical legislation. “To combat this, companies will need to flag potential shortages earlier and have prevention plans for their drugs”did she say.

“Responding to supply vulnerabilities”

These stock shortages or supply tensions have particularly affected this winter widely prescribed antibiotics such as amoxicillin, but also paracetamol or even recently the abortion pill in France. “We will also establish for the first time a list of essential medicines to monitor their availability and respond to supply vulnerabilities”she added.

This list, which the European executive hopes to have drawn up by the end of the year, could enable the Commission to oblige pharmaceutical laboratories to reinforce the security of their supplies and, in certain cases, to build up stocks.

Drug shortages, which have become particularly acute during the Covid-19 pandemic, are linked to several factors. The phenomenon is linked to the concentration of the production of active ingredients in a few Asian countries, notably China and India.