The number one of the pharmaceutical industry reassures the alert for the shortage of medicines caused by the high demand for medicines and the difficulties of the supply chains
by Marzio Bartoloni
«No to unjustified alarms: the medicines are there, we must not scare people who otherwise could run to stock up on useless stocks and this would be really senseless: if a medicine is temporarily not found in the pharmacy, it is advisable to rely on the doctor who can evaluate the alternatives certainly there is no shortage and can prescribe an equally valid and available equivalent drug on a case-by-case basis». Thus the president of Farmindustria Marcello Cattani reassures Italians about the alarm of drug shortages at the center of a first meeting of the “permanent table” just convened by Health Minister Orazio Schillaci
But how many and what are the actual shortcomings?
Compared to the more than 3,000 deficiencies formally indicated in the Medicines Agency’s list, the actual ones are far fewer. There are a few hundred and they can all be replaced with equally valid alternative therapies. The really critical deficiencies, precisely those that cannot be replaced with other medicines, number in the dozens and are often very specific and particular medicines such as some to be used in the operating room and for resuscitation
What are the categories of drugs with the greatest difficulties?
This is a particular year after three years of protection and masks, Covid and now the flu have also raised the demand for medicines, but there is also a resumption of medical checks and treatments and therefore there may be shortages for some categories : in addition to anti-inflammatories for the treatment of flu symptoms as well as antibiotics for bacterial forms, there may be difficulties for antidepressants or antihypertensives as well as neuroleptics and diuretics.