2023-08-03 08:40:09
In Belgium, Litican is far from being the only drug that cannot be found. Indeed, in 2022, more than 3,000 drugs experienced supply problems.
With us, a platform has even been set up by the Medicines Agency (FAMHP) to check whether a medicine is available: PharmaStatus. Essential molecules are also affected by this shortage, starting with paracetamol, the painkiller marketed under the brand names Doliprane, Dafalgan or Efferalgan. A situation that has persisted since 2020 and the beginnings of the health crisis. A total which represents nearly 3.5% of the drugs available, recently specified the Minister of Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, in the Health Commission.
Faced with this situation, a royal decree was signed, establishing a legal framework to prohibit the export of certain drugs in the event of a threat of shortage, according to very specific criteria. A measure considered insufficient by many health care actors.
Moreover, according to the European pharmacy dome, PGEU, a European pharmacist spends on average nearly seven hours a week managing shortages. “For Litican, we can see that it is unavailable in tablet form but alternatives are possible, says Ann Eeckhout, spokesperson for the Federal Medicines Agency. It also sometimes happens that the doctor makes a prescription for order the drug abroad but it is not always possible. The interruption of its marketing is due to the fact that one of the active substances is unavailable. On November 1, 2023, we must also receive it once more” .
If another treatment is available, via a preparation made by a pharmacist with the same active substance or by a drug with the same active substance but another route of administration, the cost may be different and the treatment is not always adapted to the patient. This is the case of Hermione who only tolerates tablets.
80% of active substances are manufactured outside Europe
Among the reasons for this shortage of drugs, there is indeed the triple epidemic of Covid-19, influenza and bronchiolitis which has greatly increased demand this year, but this is far from being the only justification. This dearth concerns most of the time so-called mature drugs, that is to say those whose patents are free, which makes them cheaper, therefore less profitable and less attractive for the pharmaceutical industry.
At the slightest international tension on the transport or production of the drug, the whole chain is also blocked.
Moreover, 80% of the active substances used to produce them are manufactured outside Europe, mainly in China or India.
A few months ago, Solidaris embarked on a campaign, “The fair price of medicine”, with the aim of denouncing the excess profits made by pharmaceutical companies and the opacity of the negotiations carried out between them and the State.
According to the socialist mutuality, the opacity on the prices actually paid and this inflation are not justified.
Thus, one billion euros, or 20% of spending on drugs, used to finance the excess profits of the pharmaceutical industry, might be reinvested in health needs.
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