Drug shortages are not inevitable!

If we warn about this situation, it is because it is not inevitable. One of the reasons for this is the sharp rise in drug consumption globally. An increase for which production equipment is unable to respond, but this is not the only explanation.

Buy at the right price

This is also the “match” that takes place between businessmen in search of the best economic equation; and policies that favor health models, particularly focusing on budgetary savings. In France, our politicians buy very cheap drugs from laboratories, which, according to all commercial logic, prefer to sell to the highest bidder: for example Switzerland or Germany.

Surprisingly, drug shortages are not present in these countries which guarantee them better price terms.

Instant savings at your fingertips

We live in a country that claims to be ahead of the curve, but ignores our pharmacies that are currently at risk. However, solutions exist and it is becoming urgent to take strong decisions. A part of this is the rehabilitation of drug manufacturing with the necessary efforts to restore technical molecules. It is a good thing to succeed in encouraging the establishment of pharmaceutical industries which were hitherto preferred abroad.

We also fought for the effective inclusion of biosimilar medicines in the Social Security Financing Bill. This measure, although included in the PLFSS, appears to be slow to be implemented. It is subject to authorization by the National Medicines Safety Agency and discussions with patient organisations. But we should be wary of protectionist logic and well-oiled lobbying that will drag out its implementation. However, biosimilar drugs are essential products for the therapeutic care of many patients. They are expensive and replacing them with “generic” biosimilar products, 30% cheaper, would have an immediate impact on the social security budget: immediate savings of 3 billion euros.

Currently only correspondence grids that authorize pharmacists to offer other drugs and adjust drug weights provide an alternative to shortages. But this is not without raising questions from patients.

The Rabault law is a first step that remains insufficient

As for the recent bill proposed by MP Valérie Rabault on the obligation for producers to increase stocks and place restrictions in the event of shortages. Of course, it goes in the right direction, but unfortunately it requires restrictions, which is a very “cultural” way of doing things in France.

However, restricted trade never leads in the right direction, and we urge a change to the budgetary economy model instead.