Europe Faces Growing Medicine Shortages: A Crisis in Antibiotics and Cardiovascular drugs
In just two months, between the end of November 2024 and the end of January 2025, 28 European countries, including Italy, reported severe shortages of essential medicines. This alarming trend was revealed in a study conducted by the Pharmaceutical Group of the european Union (PGEU), the European Association of Pharmacists. The causes? A halt in production, pricing issues, and skyrocketing demand.
The situation remains dire, especially for antibiotics and cardiovascular drugs, prompting pharmacists across the continent to sound the alarm. In some countries, the shortage affects over a thousand medications. According to the PGEU survey, 68% of these shortages are due to the suspension or interruption of production processes. Other contributing factors include national pricing strategies,such as tender policies (54% of cases),and an unexpected surge in demand (50%).
The Scale of the Problem
The data paints a grim picture. While 21% of survey participants reported fewer than 200 or between 200 and 400 shortages, the end of 2024 saw a notable increase in countries reporting over a thousand shortages compared to the previous year. Pharmacists note that while the number of shortages has slightly decreased, resolving them takes longer due to limited solutions.
Legislative Responses
In response to the crisis, a third of European countries enacted legislation in 2024 to grant pharmacists greater flexibility.These measures allow pharmacists to adapt dosages,prepare galenic medicines,and perform therapeutic replacements. While these steps have slightly improved conditions in some regions, the overall situation remains critical.
key Causes of Medicine Shortages
| cause | Percentage of cases |
|——————————–|————————–|
| Production halt or suspension | 68% |
| Pricing and tender policies | 54% |
| Unexpected surge in demand | 50% |
A Call for Action
The European medicines Agency (EMA) has been actively monitoring the situation, providing recommendations to healthcare professionals and patients. However, pharmacists emphasize the need for more robust solutions to address the root causes of these shortages.
As Europe grapples with this ongoing crisis,the question remains: will these measures be enough to ensure the availability of life-saving medications? for now,the alarm bells continue to ring,urging policymakers and stakeholders to act swiftly.
For a deeper dive into the antibiotic resistance crisis in Italy, explore this in-depth analysis.
