“Recurrent factory visits” but no measures, this is what Pauline Londeix, co-founder of the Observatory of transparency in drug policies, regretted on Tuesday on franceinfo.
“Since Emmanuel Macron took office, there have been a lot of announcements, a lot of storytelling and very few results”, lamented on franceinfo Tuesday, June 13 Pauline Londeix, co-founder of the Observatory of transparency in drug policies. While the Head of State must present in Ardèche his plan to relocate the production of drugs in France, this association is campaigning for public production of pharmaceutical products.
franceinfo: Emmanuel Macron must in Ardèche this Tuesday provide details on a list of “critical” drugs whose production is likely to be relocated to France. Do you think this is a first step in dealing with shortages?
Pauline Londeix: There is a list of essential drugs from the World Health Organization (WHO) which includes 777 drugs, and a list of drugs of major therapeutic interest which includes 422 drugs. We already have lists. In 2017 [quand Emmanuel Macron a été élu pour la première fois], there were 538 reports of drugs in shortage and today we have more than 3,000. There has been an explosion of drug shortages and in six years almost nothing has been done by the executive on this subject. A list while the French have been facing many shortages of ibuprofen and paracetamol drugs for months seems to me quite limited as an announcement.
During the health crisis, linked to the coronavirus, Emmanuel Macron undertook to relaunch the production of paracetamol in France. Where are we today?
Production on the site in Isère has been delayed: initially, it was announced that drugs would leave the factory in 2024, now it’s more like 2025, or even 2026. We are faced with the limits of storytelling by Emmanuel Macron. We can see that it takes time. It is necessary to relaunch this production, it is possible and obviously, it takes time. We have warned since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that if China and India decide not to export any more active pharmaceutical ingredients, we risk having big problems, because we don’t is not ready to produce essential medicines on our territory. We have to start as soon as possible. Since Emmanuel Macron took office, there have been many announcements, many storytelling, and very few results. With recurring visits to factories for six years, but no concrete actions to really do something and regain control of drug policies.
Should we necessarily increase the price of drugs as claimed by the pharmaceutical industry?
In Switzerland, drugs are 48.4% more expensive than in France and yet there are more and more shortages of drugs. It is a global epidemiological problem, it is also linked to the increase in the world population and to the epidemiological transition with an explosion of non-communicable diseases. In the coming years, there will be more and more drug shortages, shortages and tensions. We must therefore respond to the problem in a structural way and the only increase in drug prices will not be able to solve this problem. Medicines must be taken out of the law of supply and demand, otherwise we will simply raise the stakes. Production volumes would have to be increased to meet people’s needs.