There are supply shortages affecting almost 280 different types of medications in Luxembourg, Health Minister Martine Deprez said on Tuesday.
The situation in the Grand Duchy is similar to other EU countries, Deprez said in response to a joint written parliamentary question from DP deputies André Bauler and Carole Hartmann.
“Since 2013, medicine shortages have intensified, now affecting a growing number of essential products,” Deprez said.
Several factors were to blame for recurring shortages, the minister said, with the biggest reason being breakdowns in the global supply chain, particularly with many products now sourced outside the EU.
“Growing demand from emerging markets also puts considerable pressure on global production, while geopolitical tensions, such as conflicts or international sanctions, further disrupt supply chains,” Deprez said.
The country’s Pharmacy and Medicines Division (DPM) has set up “management mechanisms to minimise the impact of these shortages on patients”, the health minister added, although she acknowledged that problems persisted.
“Pharmaceutical companies are legally required to report any potential shortages at least two months in advance, which gives the country room to react when they meet this obligation,” she said, adding that DPM also collected its own information on supply stocks.
“This active monitoring makes it possible to identify critical shortages and, if necessary, to explore new sources of supply to avoid prolonged or serious breakages,” Deprez added.
It comes after a leading pharmacist said earlier this month that pharmacies across Luxembourg are struggling to find staff amid a serious shortage of pharmacy students, calling on the government to promote the career at schools and reinstate the subject at university.
Also read:Luxembourg pharmacies struggling with staff shortages
In addition to staff shortages, pharmacies are increasingly dependent on manufacturers outside Europe to provide supplies, Claude Hostert-Pfeiffer said in an interview with Télécran, with a lot of things “outsourced to Asia”.
The planned National Purchasing and Logistics Centre – which is estimated to be operational by 2030 – is intended to help better deal with bottlenecks, Deprez said on Tuesday, “thus ensuring better preparedness for a possible health crisis or critical supply disruption”.
Source link : https://www.luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/around-280-medicines-in-short-supply-in-luxembourg-minister-says/23723188.html
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Publish date : 2024-10-23 00:20:00
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