CASE – Luciano Diomedi, president of the Order of Pharmacists of Macerata: «There is also a lack of medicines for aerosols and in some cases paracetamol. Some colleagues are producing products galenically. Buy only if necessary, do not stock for fear of not finding them»
Luciano Diomedi
Of Frances Marsili
Anti-inflammatories, painkillers and antipyretics for the treatment of certain respiratory diseases: these are the drugs that are most difficult to find from pharmacies in the Macerata area, as in the rest of the country.
«A phenomenon that started a few months ago, but has become exponential in recent weeks, where there is a shortage above all of ibuprofen, some antibiotics, medicines for aerosols and in some cases paracetamol – explains Luciano Diomedi, president of the Macerata pharmacist association -. We are trying to accommodate all requests. Pharmacies have promptly taken action to resolve the shortages, in many cases pharmacists have put themselves in a position to produce some products galenically, or in the laboratories of the pharmacies themselves, such as ibuprofen, a drug which, if missing, makes it difficult to cure of certain respiratory diseases and which is dispensed without a medical prescription. As well as the 400 and 600 mg ibuprofen capsules, which instead need a prescription ».
Another element, this “which showed the centrality of the pharmacy within the new structure of the national health system as the first garrison of proximity health” underlines the president of the Macerata order. Many factors contribute to the emergence of the critical situation, which the Italian pharmacists’ association has already reported to the health authorities for months.
«At least three – highlights Diomedi – the first is a greater demand. In fact, the use and consumption of these medicines to treat the seasonal flu, which arrived earlier than expected and with rather aggressive symptoms this year, was combined with that for the home management of Covid-19, which continues to be present, and for those with other types of chronic pathologies. Ibuprofen, for example, is used for therapy in patients suffering from rheumatological diseases, the same is also recommended for fighting the flu and Covid ». The second plea has a more general context. «In some cases there is a problem of supplying the active ingredients by the pharmaceutical companies – he underlines – but also of raw materials for the packaging of the product such as glass, plastic, paper and aluminium. Glass is used for drops, aluminum and plastic for blisters. In some cases there is the active ingredient, but not the packaging. And viceversa”.
The latter difficulty is due to the current international crisis which has made it more difficult to find these materials, also due to the cost of energy. The third factor is an excessive and unjustified use of procurement. “Many people, through word of mouth, are afraid of being without drugs and hoard them.”
For this reason, the message that the president of the order wants to send is: «Buy only if necessary, do not stock for fear of not finding themwe are trying to satisfy all requests – he underlines -. The same phenomenon occurred at the beginning of the pandemic with the rush to Plaquenil, an anti-arthritis drug which was also used to block the Covid infection and which had become unobtainable».
How long will this situation last and what are the solutions in addition to the preparation of galenic products for which operating instructions have been issued in compliance with the procedures established by the European Pharmacopoeia in the event that ordinary drugs are not available? «We don’t have any timetable, we’re going on from day to day – replies Diomedi -. It being understood that to better cope with the winter season, the over 60s are advised to have the flu vaccination which expires on December 31st. This year the Australian flu arrived anomalously, earlier than expected, and with rather aggressive symptoms. The peak is expected between the end of December and the beginning of January. Those who intend to protect themselves with the flu vaccine can contact us or their general practitioner, but we need to hurry”.
In conclusion, Diomedi underlined how the order of pharmacists is working to make the pharmaceutical dossier concrete, a tool contained within the electronic health record “to promote quality, monitoring, appropriateness in the dispensing of medicines and adherence to therapy for the purpose of patient safety and updated by the dispensing pharmacy”. «In essence – highlights Diomedi – with the pharmaceutical dossier the pharmacist becomes the prescriber of the drug on the basis of the therapy entered by the general practitioner or specialist in the electronic health record. The prescribing pharmacist becomes the main figure for reprogramming local healthcare with greater collaboration with the general practitioner or specialist without delegitimizing their role. On the other hand – he concludes – even in other European countries such as France, healthcare is also based on other activities of the pharmacist».