Pediatricians Warn of Shortage of Child Medications in Europe

Pediatricians from several European countries have warned of a shortage of medicines for children, including antibiotics and asthma treatments, calling for action to find a quick, reliable and permanent solution to the problems facing drug stocks in Europe.

This came in a letter sent by the doctors to the health ministers, Saturday, April 29, 2023, in which they said, “The health of our children and young people is in danger due to the lack of medicines across Europe.”

The letter was addressed to the health ministers of Austria, France, Germany, Italy’s South Tyrol and Switzerland, and the doctors noted that it was the responsibility of political decision-makers to ensure adequate production and supply to make sure essential medicines were available for child care.

Doctors also called for the need to provide antibiotics, pain relievers, fever and asthma medications, and vaccines, according to Agence France-Presse, Sunday, April 30, 2023.

Responding to the letter, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wrote on Twitter that the concerns were “fully justified”, noting that a law aimed at addressing drug delivery issues is currently before the German parliament.

For its part, the German government acknowledged, on Friday, April 28, 2023, a shortage of antibiotics for children, and pledged to take steps to address the problem. Speaking during a press conference in the capital, Berlin, Health Ministry spokesman Sebastian Goldi said, “The ministry has informed the regional authorities of the problem.”

Goldi indicated that the necessary mechanisms have been activated as part of the early warning system, and thus the local authorities will be able to interact more flexibly, with the aim of purchasing antibiotics in a non-bureaucratic manner when needed also from abroad, according to Anadolu Agency.

A prominent doctors’ union had warned earlier of the severe shortage of antibiotics for children in Germany, and called for immediate steps to be taken to address the problem. They get it sometimes.”

Musk added, in a press statement, that the situation has become “very worrying,” and indicated that many children are at risk due to a lack of antibiotics, while their families have been left in a desperate situation, struggling to secure medicine for them.

During the winter, Europe witnessed a shortage of antibiotics and other medicines, as the increasing diseases, especially among children, caused an increase in the demand for medicines.

It is noteworthy that the European Union has published a draft proposed reform of the laws governing the pharmaceutical industry in the European Union. Access to drugs and their prices between countries.