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The difficulties encountered by pharmacies regarding medications, particularly antibiotics, have prompted the Medicines and Health Products Safety Agency (ANSM) to react. She asks manufacturers to “immediately make available” stocks of amoxicillin.
This December 26, the Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) is concerned about “thesupply of certain major winter medications“, such as amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.
In a press release, the Agency estimates that “significant difficulties in distributing boxes“and stocks of treatments make”their very complicated access for patients“.
Faced with this situation, the Agency reacted because already in mid-December, it had noted that the situation regarding the availability of amoxicillin continued to deteriorate, particularly for the drinkable forms used in pediatrics. “The situation continues to deteriorate in pharmacies, in particular for drinkable forms used in pediatrics, despite the presence of stocks declared at industrial level. writes the ANSM.
She therefore asks manufacturers to “immediately make the majority of their stocks available to wholesalers-distributors, so that the boxes are distributed fairly in pharmacies and positioned as close as possible to patients“.
Special shapes for children always available
Regarding the shortage of amoxicillin for children, “it is always possible for pharmacists to directly deliver a compounded preparation (made for a given patient, according to a medical prescription) suitable for children under 12 years old” notes the ANSM, which in parallel with this request, reminds “all stakeholders the importance of using antibiotics correctly.
Because in fact, she still emphasizes, “overconsumption and unjustified use of antibiotics are the main causes of the development of antibiotic resistance which contributes to reducing the effectiveness of antibiotics“.
As a reminder, antibiotics should only be prescribed in the presence of bacteria against which they are effective. For all pathologies of viral origin, they will have no effect.