Belgium is currently facing a serious drug shortage with a total of 1,239 medicines being unavailable – a far cry from numbers revealed by the country’s Federal Medicines Agency – according to the Febelco Group, Belgium’s biggest medicines supplier, Belgian media reported.
The number of drugs in short supply is higher than what was announced by PharmaStatut, an initiative of the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMPH), which estimates 363 medicines were unavailable over the last 30 days, Het Nieuwsblad, De Standaard and Het Belang van Limburg reported Tuesday.
Taking into account medicines that have been unavailable for some time, this number reaches 1,239, according to Febelco, Belgian media reported.
In an open letter to pharmacists, Febelco CEO Olivier Delaere says he is “concerned about the situation [drug shortage], but also about the way it is communicated [by the Federal authorities]”.
“In our view, PharmaStatut does not provide an accurate picture of the unavailability of medicines,” he continued.
“If we include the medicines that have been unavailable for some time, the number rises to 1,239. This means that almost 15% are unavailable,” Delaere told the press.
Because EU member states negotiate prices individually, the director also explained that pharmaceutical companies prioritise larger countries with more patients and higher prices, which results in “artificial shortages” in Belgium.
In a survey on drug shortages conducted between 14 November and 31 December 2022 by the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union, all EU countries reported shortages to community pharmacists, and 76% said the shortages were worse than in 2021.
Some 79% of respondents reported shortages of anti-infectives for systemic use, while 76% found it difficult to obtain medicines for respiratory problems. Other conditions, including cardiovascular and gastrointestinal, were also highlighted, Belga reported.
Nevertheless, the spokeswoman for the FAMPH, Ann Eeckhout, underlines that since the introduction of PharmaStatut in 2019, shortages have dropped from 5% to 3%.
But still, “there are about 20 [unavailable medicines for which alternatives are not immediately available] at the moment. Eight of them are still in limited supply,” she told the press.
For these medicines, a task force composed of specialists from the FAMHP, the National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance and experts will meet to formulate recommendations for health professionals.
Moreover, a month ago, a royal decree which could temporarily restrict the export of medicines if their unavailability would have a major impact on health and if there are no other medicines with the same therapeutic effect entered into force. ”This is to avoid interrupting treatments with sometimes vital medicines,” Eeckhout said.
“We are surprised that the Royal Decree, issued in January by Health Minister Vandenbroucke, is seen as the miracle solution,” Delaere said in the open letter.
Febelco proposes to demand transparency and a stock guarantee from the industry. It also proposes to take action against the industry’s quota policy and in favour of imports, as some other European countries do.
(Anne-Sophie Gayet | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
