Medicines in danger: 500 preparations are missing - threaten bottlenecks?

Medicines in danger: 500 preparations are missing - threaten bottlenecks?

Linz, Österreich - An alarming lack of medication currently shakes health care in Germany. Almost 500 medicines are not available or available, according to the Federal Office for Healthcare. Important preparations such as antibiotics, insulins and pain relievers are affected. Pharmacists and doctors warn of increasing bottlenecks, especially with a view to the upcoming cold and flu period. Jörg Mayrhofer from the Guardian Pharmacy in Linz confirms that there are currently enough supplies with flu-related agents, but the situation could change quickly in view of the high demand, as Tagesschau.de

The delivery bottlenecks are diverse: they not only affect acute patients who urgently need medication such as antibiotics, but also chronic illnesses who rely on continuous treatments. The chairman of the German Pharmacists' Association, Hans-Peter Hubmann, emphasizes that there are fewer and fewer manufacturers, which further exacerbates the problems. The pharmaceutical society therefore demands to finally take measures to bring the production of pharmaceuticals back to Europe in order to make themselves less dependent on external manufacturers. orf.at emphasizes that the interruptions in the supply chain have often led to significant care problems in previous years.

Nevertheless, the Federal Ministry of Health remains optimistic. Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach assures that despite selective bottlenecks, a comprehensive care of the patients is guaranteed. According to the current data, only about one percent of the approximately 50,000 prescription drugs are affected, which suggests that the measures to combat the bottlenecks at least partially have a part. However, experts warn that the margins in generic are so low that manufacturers are often unable to fulfill increased production orders or to react to warehouse problems. While the situation could stabilize at short notice, the question remains open how sustainable these solutions are, as long as the global dependence on pharmaceutical manufacturers in China and India continues.