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Dr Yves Dour (Doctor of Pharmacy)
After a winter of 2022 marked by shortages of various molecules, the National Medicines Safety Agency is presenting a “winter plan” whose objective is to limit tensions for the cold season to come. Will the measures taken be sufficient? The answers of Dr Yves Dour, pharmacist and member of the expert committee
The government does not want to experience the same “drug crisis” as last winter. To avoid further shortages, the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) has prepared a “winter plan” in order to limit tensions on the molecules most consumed during this period, which are more conducive to infections.
Amoxicillin, paracetamol and corticosteroids are particularly targeted
Remember last year, amoxicillin, a widely used antibiotic, particularly in children, but also paracetamol suffered major supply constraints in pharmacies, to the point that it was sometimes necessary to go to several pharmacies to find treatment.
When this was not possible, pharmacists even had to readjust the dosage forms, recommending that parents pour the contents of a capsule into yogurt or cut a tablet in two to treat their child.
Faced with these tensions which continued throughout last winter, due in particular to the triple epidemic of Covid-flu-bronchiolitis, the Minister of Health at the time, François Braun, had tasked the ANSM last February with establishing a preparation plan to combat future winter epidemics.
The ANSM has just published it, focusing on four classes of molecules in particular:
- Antibiotics (amoxicillin/amoxicillin-clavulanic acid);
- Medicines against fever (paracetamol);
- Corticosteroids administered orally (prednisone, prednisolone);
- Asthma medications (corticosteroids and bronchodilators administered by inhalation (fluticasone, salbutamol)).
Aurélien Rousseau: “Today, we have stocks for the winter, particularly amoxicillin”
Questioned on Tuesday October 3 at the microphone of France Inter, the current Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, appears rather confident in the face of the future situation. “Today, we have stocks for the winter, particularly amoxicillin, the most common antibiotic.“.
However, he recognizes distribution problems with “especially the largest pharmacies which have overstocked“. He also warns that the level of stocks in winter will “depend on the intensity of epidemics”.
An observation shared by Yves Dour, pharmacist member of the Doctissimo expert committee: “If we face a “classic” winter, stocks will be sufficient. On the other hand, if 50% of the population is sick, this will not be the case“What could help, according to the doctor of pharmacy, is the recent authorization for pharmacists to perform TROD tests, to differentiate between bacterial and viral tonsillitis. But within a certain limit…”It is still necessary that patients, after a test which proves that the angina is not bacterial, do not go to their doctor to obtain an unnecessary prescription for antibiotics..
As a reminder, antibiotics are useless against the virus. Viral tonsillitis is simply treated with mouthwash and throat lozenges.
Monitor stocks and relocate production
Finally, Aurélien Rousseau recalls that the ANSM “monitors stocks on a daily basis“pharmacy. Depending on the evolution of the indicators, the agency may decide to import medicines, quotas or the mobilization of compounded preparations.
Finally the minister recalls that France is fighting against the problem, by “relocating the production of 25 strategic drugs to France“ and also putting “450 drugs under surveillance since last year”.