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Production difficulties coupled with a seventh wave of Covid-19 will have been enough to undermine the supply of paracetamol to pharmacies. The Medicines Agency nevertheless wants to be reassuring and evokes a situation which “should return to normal at the end of the summer period”.
“To date, there are delays in the supply of oral forms and suppositories of paracetamol”. The press release from the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) mentions the lack of certain forms of paracetamol in pharmacies. In addition to these supply difficulties, the current Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated the needs of the population, which has strained the situation a little more.
Towards a shortage in pharmacies?
These two elements prompted the ANSM to communicate on the situation and put in place several measures, to “equitably distribute supplies throughout the territory and preserve available stocks over time”.
For Dr. Yves Dour, pharmacist and member of the Doctissimo expert committee, “some models of paracetamol are indeed missing from the holder of the originator, Sanofi, but many laboratories manufacturing generics have quite substantial stocks”.
No need to stock up
Stock management must nevertheless be done, in order to be able to supply paracetamol to those who need it most. “This may be for someone who takes it every day because of chronic pain, or for a patient discharged from hospital who needs to pick up a large supply. We must make sure we have enough boxes available for these people, which is why the possibility of limiting free sale to two boxes per person is currently being discussed..
On the other hand, for all those who do not especially need paracetamol on a daily basis, there is no need to rush to the pharmacist to buy a stock of boxes. “Have one or two boxes of paracetamol in your pharmacy yes, ten is useless” recalls the pharmacist, who explains that this way of doing things can only accentuate the shortcomings.
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Reminder of recommendations to pharmacies and the general public
Finally, the ANSM indicates in its press release that all forms of paracetamol are supplied in hospitals. She concludes by reminding pharmacies of the rules of good practice during this period, such as avoiding the sale of paracetamol in oral form and in suppository form, limiting orders, reducing online sales and favoring prescription dispensing.
For the general public, she insists on asking your doctor or pharmacist only in case of urgent need, in case of “pain or fever”.