Supplies are now “under strain” in many pharmacies, states the drug safety agency the Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament (ANSM). This means that some may struggle to get hold of it.
Four million people in France regularly use the drug to help with breathing conditions and allergies.
Some pharmacies have now introduced quota limits on the drug in a bid to prevent them from running out completely. In a statement, the ANSM said that “management measures” have been taken in France, in a bid to shore up the shortfall.
Manufacturer GSK has responded to the shortage, saying that it will soon increase production levels. A new site in Spain is set to open “in the coming weeks”, which will “increase the volumes placed on the market”, it told Le Parisien.
Ongoing drug shortages
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Drug shortages have become more of an issue in France in recent years, with more than 4,000 medicines said to be experiencing a shortage in winter last year.
There is an official list of 147 essential medicines on which France relies, many of which depend on supplies and ingredients from non-European countries.
In February, the government presented a “three-year plan” (2024-27) designed to guarantee the availability of essential medicines in France. Measures include working to closely monitor supply levels, improving supply chains, and moving more manufacturing to mainland France.
Wholesalers and pharmacists are also asked not to overstock medicines that are considered to be in short supply, and last September, pharmacies were asked to dispense some drugs pill-by-pill (rather than in whole boxes) due to ongoing shortages.
