During the first wave, certain painkillers were no longer available in Swiss pharmacies. Now a similar scenario threatens to be even greater. The Federal Association of German Pharmacists’ Associations (ABDA) has issued an urgent warning of record-high drug delivery bottlenecks. Now European solutions are needed.
More and more patients in Europe are affected by delivery bottlenecks for prescription drugs. In Germany alone, the number of unavailable drugs increased to 12.1 million packs in the first half of 2020.
Millions of patients affected
“Not only antihypertensive drugs, gastric acid blockers and pain relievers, but also drugs for depression, epilepsy and Parkinson’s are affected by delivery bottlenecks. Pharmacists all over Europe go to great lengths to provide their patients with the necessary preparations, ”says ABDA Vice President Mathias Arnold.
And: “We also need a European solution for millions of affected patients across Europe. The European Commission’s new drug strategy is an important step in the right direction. “
Strengthening production in Europe
The reasons for the drug shortage are production downtimes, export stops and logistics problems in Asia. That was already evident during the first wave. Now we urgently need to strengthen production in Europe. “This requires a European approach that consistently represents our common quality, social and environmental standards vis-à-vis trading partners all over the world,” continues Arnold. (pbe)
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