– You just have to take a random look on the shelf, then find a medicine that is missing, says Trond Maurseth, pharmacist and day-to-day manager of a pharmacy located in the center of Haugesund. While he looks towards a wall that should be full of medicine, he is reminded of a challenge that is getting worse. – Right now there are five or six medicines that cause trouble for us, says Maurseth. In 2008, 34 medicines were missing in Norway. So far this year, 1,258 medicines have been registered that cannot be obtained. And there are still 2.5 months left of the year. – The forecasts indicate that we are heading for a new peak year for medicine shortages in Norway, says senior physician Ingrid Aas at the Norwegian Medicines Agency. Senior physician in the Norwegian Medicines Agency, Ingrid Aas, believes the medicine shortage is worrying. Photo: Caroline Roka/Statens Legemidelverk Last peak year came during the pandemic, when 1,391 cases of shortages were registered in 2021. – It is worrying, says Aas. – At the same time, we emphasize that the vast majority of patients receive the treatment they need. Many medicines are not dispensed In May, the Pharmacy Association published an investigation into the medicine shortage. The survey confirms the appointment to the Norwegian Medicines Agency, and shows that around 97 per cent receive the medicine that the doctor has prescribed for their patient. If you break the statistics down further, you are left with a small figure of 0.7 per cent. This is the number of patients who leave the pharmacy empty-handed, without the medicines the doctor has prescribed. – These are small percentages, but amount to between 170,000 and 400,000 prescriptions dispensed over the course of a year, says professional director Hanne Andresen at the Pharmacy Association. Hanne Andresen believes that it is necessary to ensure that the pharmaceutical supply in Norway is robust. Photo: Bo Hoffstrøm Slettjord / Kubrix Calls for action The Pharmacy Association shares the concern of the Norwegian Medicines Agency. – We are worried. At the same time, this is not just a problem in Norway, but also in Europe and globally, says Andresen and asserts: – Therefore, measures must be implemented to ensure that the supply of medicines in Norway is robust and good. The Ministry of Health and Social Care has now submitted a proposal for the establishment of a medicines preparedness council for consultation. – There we also propose to set up a national preparedness council for medicines that the Directorate of Health will hire, says State Secretary Karl Kristian Bekkeng in the Ministry of Health and Care. Karl Kristian Bekeng is State Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Care. Photo: Esten Borgos / BORGOS FOTO AS The pandemic showed the authorities that there is a need for professional recommendations in crisis situations. – This will be one of the tasks of the Emergency Medicines Council, says Bekkeng. Discussion in Europe In Norway, we have several emergency warehouses where we store the most important medicines. But these are usually bought from abroad. – And it is this market that has proven not to function quite optimally, and which creates discussion about whether one should have own production of the most important pharmaceuticals in Europe, says assistant health director Espen Nakstad. Espen Nakstad believes that the pharmaceutical market is not functioning optimally. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news – Are they confident that Norway is self-sufficient in important medicines? – We are never confident that we are self-sufficient in all the medicines that are needed in Norway, says Nakstad, and continues: – The situation has shown that there is always a shortage of medicine that is needed. It looks like it’s getting harder and harder as the market looks today. These are the reasons for the shortage Until 2020, we had an annual doubling of shortages of medicines in Norway. The reason for the increase is compounded. But problems with production and delivery, in addition to more room than expected, are the reasons that keep repeating. – It can come as a result of a lack of raw materials. There can also be acute injuries or challenges with a production facility, says Aas in the Norwegian Medicines Agency. Some of the medicines that have been in short supply so far this year are antidepressants, birth control pills, cough syrup, painkillers and iodine tablets. – But it’s never all at once, Maurseth asserts. Many shelves have been empty of medicine so far this year. Photo: Håkon Mannsåker/news
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Heading towards a record year for medicine shortages – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
