In September, all the cortisone sprays in a certain dose that children with cold asthma are often prescribed have run out. This leads to parents having to go around between pharmacies, or contact healthcare and get a different prescription.
– There are generally very many residual listed medicines. When it comes to this particular deficiency, there are alternatives to find, says Susanna Kleve, pediatric allergist and head of unit at Södersjukhuset, and continues:
– Parents get in touch and we have to write prescriptions for other strengths and there will be more work in healthcare. Then some parents may wait to get in touch and think it will come soon, and in some cases the child may not receive any medicine for a period.
It is just one of the effects when more medicines are listed as backlogs, as it is called when they run out and cannot be ordered in to pharmacies.
Shortage situations almost doubled
The weak krone exchange rate and pricing in Sweden have meant that companies abroad do not have as much incentive to sell to Sweden. In addition, many companies report production or logistics problems.
– There is really no simple solution to those problems. What we do at the Swedish Medicines Agency is that we are an information hub where companies must report residual notes to us in good time, says Maria Wanrud, group manager of the unit for pharmaceuticals at the Swedish Medicines Agency.
During the first half of 2023, 1,754 pharmaceutical packages were listed. This can be compared with 1,615 during the whole of last year.
– If it’s completely over, my advice is that you need to contact a doctor to get a new prescription or discuss another treatment, says Maria Wanrud at the Medical Products Agency.
Urged to prepare at home
There are several proposals to overcome the problems, which are now in the investigation stage.
For example, the Swedish Medicines Agency has been tasked by the government to look into whether pharmacies should be given greater powers, such as replacing a medicine that is in short supply with the same medicine but in a different dose.
– Another measure that could facilitate future situations is also to know how much medicine is available in Sweden, today no actor knows that. Last spring, the Medical Products Agency submitted a proposal to the government on how we would like to build such support, and we hope that such an assignment will come in the near future, says Maria Wanrud.
They are also reviewing whether it is possible to demand that the pharmacies have larger stocks.