EU plans changes to pharmaceuticals law to avoid medicine shortages

(Reuters) – Draft amendments to the European Union’s medicines law will include stronger obligations on drug supplies and early notification of shortages, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Tuesday. said to

Kiriakides told a session of the European Parliament that antibiotic shortages have become a serious problem for many European countries. Said there was

“Our aim is to ensure access to medicines for all patients in need and avoid disruption of the pharmaceutical market in the EU,” said Kyriakides.

According to the European Medicines Agency, 26 European countries have reported shortages of antibiotics.

Kiriakides said an unseasonably early spike in respiratory infections in Europe this winter and inadequate production capacity were the root causes of the shortage.

Many EU MPs speaking at the session said the shortage needed to be addressed urgently. But experts say shortages of essential generic drugs such as antibiotics are likely to recur in Europe due to problems in the sector, including the gradual shift of generic manufacturing to Asia.

Kiriakides said the EU is rolling out all regulatory options and is in talks with companies to increase production and alleviate shortages.

She said the Health Emergency Preparedness Agency (HERA), the EU health crisis agency set up during the COVID-19 pandemic, could procure medicines and medical supplies on behalf of member states to address shortages. Added.

Reporting by Maggie Fick Editing by John Boyle, David Goodman and Paul Simao

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