Shortage of anti-depressants and psychiatric drugs set to last several months in France
Several major drugs are at critically low levels after production halt and rise in demand
Some drugs have been in short supply for nearly a year
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A shortage of anti-depressants and other psychiatric medication is set to continue for several months in France, as the supply of several drugs remains tenuously low.
A sharp rise in demand for several psychiatric and anti-depressant drugs, the closure of a major European factory producing a major psychiatric drug component, and a lack of overall production by pharmaceutical companies means a shortage that began in July 2024 is far from over.
Over a dozen major pharmaceutical products are affected, ranging from anti-depressants to anti-bipolar and anti-schizophrenics.
Several are listed among France’s ‘essential’ medications.
In terms of the anti-schizophrenic drug component quetiapine, a major shortage led to an official warning by French medicine authorities at the start of the year.
Doctors were advised to prescribe alternatives to quetiapine-based drugs where possible to conserve dwindling supplies.
“There are shortages in almost every range of psychotropic drugs, except benzodiazepines,” said psychiatrist David Masson to the AFP (quoted in FranceInfo).
“I cannot remember seeing anything like this in the last 20 years,” he added.
Measure in place to combat shortage
In light of the long-term shortage, France’s medicine safety agency (Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament, ANSM) has put a number of measures in place.
Alongside advising doctors to prescribe alternative medicines, the agency is asking for tablets to be handed out on an individual basis (rather than by box) to prevent waste.
It has also banned the export of drugs under threat, and has authorised around 40 pharmacies to produce drugs such as quetiapine themselves (a privilege not afforded for all drugs facing a shortage).
A major import drive of certain drugs has seen over 10% of monthly supplies be brought in from abroad in recent months.
At the same time, several other drugs, including anti-depressant sertraline, are affected by financial issues.
The cost for the drug in France is set by a decree in the Journal Officiel, at a figure deemed too low by pharmaceutical companies to make a significant profit on, who therefore turn their attention to the production of other medicines.
It has in turn led to a shortfall of the drug on the market.
Adverse health effects
Patients prescribed psychiatric drugs are usually gently removed off the treatment, with the dosage being gradually reduced to combat negative side effects.
In the case of the current shortage, this is not always possible, leading to an increase in adverse effects.
Patients who are abruptly forced to stop taking their medication can face “increased anxiety and suicidal thoughts,” among several other side effects said psychiatrist Lucie Joly to France2.
One patient told the media outlet how she spends her evenings traversing Paris searching for a pharmacy that can fulfill her prescription for quetiapine and venlafaxine.
When will issues end?
There is mixed information concerning the end of the shortage.
For quetiapine – where several significant efforts have been made – the ANSM announced at the end of April that the situation is slowly improving, although a stockpile of supplies is yet to be built up.
Other drugs and components such as teralithe (used in anti-bipolar medication) should see a return to normal levels by the end of May or June, with normal treatment schedules returning within a few weeks.
However, major anti-depressants such as sertraline and venlafaxine continue to face shortages due to economic issues, with no end in sight unless the price of these drugs are changed, or pharmacists in France are given permission to undertake domestic production.
