EAHP Medicines Shortages Surveys
Due to the lack of information on medicines shortages, EAHP has started to collect evidence on medicines supply shortages in the hospital sector, its prevalence, nature and impacts for patient care. The most recent survey was conducted in 2023.
Detailed information on EAHP’s five medicines shortages surveys is available via the following links:
List of indispensable medicines
The Working Group on unavailability of indispensable medicinal products of the French National Academy of Pharmacy and EAHP have joined forces to create different lists of indispensable medicines in relation to different treatment areas. In 2021, both organisations worked on a List of Indispensable Anti-Cancer Drugs.
Additional efforts to combat medicines shortages
In 2013, a common position paper was formed through the European Medicines Agency patient and healthcare professional stakeholder groups. The common position paper touches on possible causes of shortages and proposes measures to prevent and manage supply shortages of medicines in the current regulatory framework. A letter to the European Commission was prepared by European pharmacy associations (EAHP, EIPG and PGEU) to request action.
In early 2017, the medicines supply chain stakeholders (AESGP, EAHP, EAEPC, EFPIA, EIPG, GIRP, Medicines for Europe, PGEU) issued a joint statement on information and medicinal products shortages. The recommendations included in this document call for greater transparency and availability of medicines shortage data, early detection and assessment of potential shortages, consistency of reporting, increased access to the information available across all parts of the supply chain, improved data infrastructure, and collaborative governance processes.
In May 2019, EAHP together with 30 national and European associations of patients, consumers, healthcare professionals and public health advocates approached the European Commission with the request to start an investigation into the factors leading to medicines shortages. In September, the initiative gathered more than 40 organisations and reached out the to the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) committee of the European Parliament. In a letter addressed to the ENVI committee’s chair, its vice chairs and the group coordinators, the initiative highlighted their growing concern about medicines shortages and called upon the ENVI committee to act.
Medicines shortages, in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic, are not only a concern for hospital pharmacists but also for those working in the field of oncology. The European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) is consequently collecting regular information on the situation. EAHP supports this data collection which can be accessed via ESOP’s website.
On 17 September 2020, the European Parliament adopted a Report on the “Shortage of medicines – how to address an emerging problem”. Together with the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), France Assos Santé and Prescrire, EAHP has put together a list of actions (see HERE) that should be prioritised.