281 drugs deemed critical in France: list, what is it?

Tuesday, May 16, at the National Assembly, in accordance with the commitments announced by the Minister of Health, 281 drugs were the subject of a “critical” list. Among them : amoxicillin, paracetamol, insulin or vigabatrin. “This list will allow us to better study the production chain of each drug and to put in place concrete measures to avoid ruptures“ commented François Braun. The establishment of this list had been announced by communicated in February 2023. These drugs are “called “critical” because strategies for health fellow citizens”.

In 2022, these are 3500 reports of stock shortages and risks of ruptures which have been identified in France against 2160 in 2021 according to a report sent to AFP by the National Medicines Safety Agency. In pharmacies, in France as in Europe, the lack of antibiotics, anti-epileptics, cancer drugs or even paracetamol raises many concerns. Supply tensions that lead the government to adopt a policy of concrete measures, namely “a winter plan” with the increase each winter in the consumption of certain drugs and “a white drug plan” being set up.

THE return of “industrial sovereignty”, advocated by President Emmanuel Macron, also includes the pharmaceutical industries through the “France Relance”, “France 2030” or “Choose France” plans, with more than a billion euros invested by the latter. In order to harmonize policies in the face of shortages, François Braun also called for action at European level, recommending more transparency of pharmaceutical companies on production, a stronger solidarity between countries with stocks and those who lack them and finally a list of drugs considered essential to guarantee their production in France and Europe. The Medicines Agency regularly updates the list of medicines in tension on its site.