Canned soups, noodles, and toilet paper are not the only thing that is currently in high demand. In view of the rapidly-spreading Coronavirus, there are not a few, make a large purchase in the pharmacy. Out of fear that the goods could be in short supply.
This is completely unnecessary, calm pharmacist in Germany. “There is no reason for concern and no reason to hoard medicines,” says Friedemann Schmidt, President of the Federal Union of German associations of Pharmacists (ABDA).
“No additional problems due to Corona”
With supply bottlenecks have to do the industry for years. “Additional problems that could be attributable to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, not we but, as before,” said ABDA, President of the Schmidt.
It is of course possible that the effects of the crisis in the course of the year were also felt in the drug supply.
But: “Currently, we are able to provide the patients properly.”
Who is considered now a more month-to-month stock of medicines to purchase, should be borne in mind: hoarding toilet paper is one thing. Important medicine is again quite a different thing, after all, it is a matter of health.
A depressing thought: What if at some point, and in the worst case, drugs against pain, fever and inflammation are in the wrong place?
“Because the best System is collapsing”
If you cupboard is unaffected in private Drug in the bathrooms of the camps – while the one gets no more in the pharmacy that needs you urgently?
“If everyone starts to hoard the medications he needs, breaks down even the best System”, had recently warned the NRW Minister Armin Laschet.
“The System is based on trust, and each contributes to the fact that this confidence is maintained.”
Switzerland: Certain medications rationed
Thus, the System does not break in the face of increasing hamster purchases together, to be interned in Switzerland, now certain drugs ratio. Are affected in addition to prescription products also antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory medicines.
Only one pack per customer and the purchase of our neighbors recently, for example in Medicine, in which the active ingredients Ibuprofen and Paracetamol are included.
A total of 16 active substances are not on the rationing list, which has been approved by the Swiss Federal Council on Wednesday – these substances are among other things in popular products such as Aspirin or pain medication Dafalgan.
Already for weeks the flu and pain medication, as well as preparations to strengthen the immune system in Switzerland in high demand, according to the “NZZ”.
Customers are hoarding unnecessary reserves
Customers would have demanded “for unnecessary reserves,” the newspaper quoted a spokeswoman for the Association of pharmacists Pharmasuisse. Therefore, some drugs are no longer get to. But not because of a defect. But because the supply chain had been affected. Due to the high demand not be complied with””.
Shortages, hoarding of delivery – Two different problems
Very important: A measure of how now the Switzerland has nothing to do with bottlenecks for delivery of various drugs.
Thus, pharmacists have to fight for some time, quite independent of and long before the spread of the Coronavirus. In Germany, too.
Hoarding is not more likely the reason for supply shortages. The cause of production problems” or a “strained market situation are rather often “”.
Currently, 309 medicines are hard to get
These reasons for diving – among others – on the list of the “Federal Institute for drugs and medical devices” (BfArM), in the all of those medicines are listed, to be delivered where it bottlenecks.
Currently, this database of 309 medicines. And those are only the reported by pharmaceutical companies on a voluntary basis.
All of these pharmaceutical products are heavy and to not get within two weeks. In part, patients have to wait months for it.
Shortage of delivery in the case of cancer drugs, heart medication, blood pressure-lowering
Supply bottlenecks there are, among other things, essential drugs to seriously ill patients are instructed about various antibiotics (Penicillin and Amoxicillin), cancer drugs such as Vinorelbine and Docetaxel.
But also the blood-pressure-lowering drug Candesartan and Valsartan, as well as the heart drug Diltiazem are on the list.
For many products this is true not only since the outbreak of the corona of a crisis. Longer, some of the drugs in this country are scarce.
But even here, the corona has a crisis: experts fear that the supply in Germany, with such a scarce medicines will exacerbate the situation in China.
Because in Germany that could boast of earlier times as the “pharmacy of the world”, a long time ago that drugs be manufactured. From the cost of production was in low-wage countries is shifting. We are paying the price now.
Because Germany is in the case of medicines, depending on Asia, especially from China. Here, numerous active ingredients are produced in our medicines. Antibiotics are manufactured almost exclusively there. In Wuhan, the Coronavirus is a particularly troubled town.
Because of the quarantine regulations in the country, which are now being lifted slowly, the factories in China for a week still.
These are the possible consequences of
It comes, like now, because of the Corona outbreak, problems in the production, is the interrupted supply chain.
The “immediate consequences,” said Christoph Stoller, General Manager of Teva/Ratiopharm in Germany and Austria, in the documentation “shortage of medicine?” (available in the ZDF media library).
Like the look of? “Then it can be,” says Stoller, “is that in three to six months of the first patients to get the antibiotics”.
Possibly with deadly consequences.
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*The contribution of “heart and blood-pressure-lowering drugs: Are drugs just?” is of Wizelife. Contact with the executives here.