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July 8, 2019
One in four French people have difficulty obtaining a common medicine. To remedy this, the Minister of Health, Agnès Buzyn unveiled her action plan to limit drug stockouts. These new avenues will lead to a final plan in September.
Better management of the medication circuit
Antibiotics, vaccines or anticancer drugs, the French sometimes find themselves waiting for their medication. To remedy this problem, Agnès Buzyn presented, this Monday, July 8, her roadmap. Other recommendations should be added, on the part of health professionals, in order to arrive at a definitive plan.
In 2017, the National Medicines Agency reported 538 cases of stock-outs or supply difficulties of certain common drugs. In recent weeks, corticosteroids have experienced a shortage of stocks. These reports are at their highest when there were only 44 similar situations in 2008.
Better communication
Among the recommendations, Agnès Buzyn recommends generalization of the platform allowing pharmacists to report a supply disruption to the laboratory in question. Other actions are highlighted. It would, for example, be possible to empower the pharmacist to replace an unavailable drug with another drug similar.
The European dimension is also addressed in this provisional plan. One of the tracks would be to work more in cooperation with other European countries especially for the group purchase of essential vaccines. A steering committee involving the Medicines Agency (ANSM) and the players concerned (pharmaceutical laboratories, wholesalers, patient associations) should be set up to implement these new measures.
Stephanie Haerts
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