Health
More supplies of children’s medicines
Painkillers for children, among other things, were in short supply during the last waves of infections in winter. photo
© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
The typical cold season is approaching. And many families still remember how difficult some medications were for children to get in the fall and winter of 2022. Does it look better now?
From the perspective of Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, parents can expect a more stable supply of medication for their children this winter Children count – even with mutual consideration.
“We are significantly better positioned than last year,” said the SPD politician after a conversation with representatives of pharmacies, doctors and manufacturers in Berlin. The production of painkillers, fever syrups and antibiotics, for example, increased significantly compared to winter 2022. If there is no big wave of infections, the problem will be able to be mastered. At the same time, Lauterbach appealed to parents: “Please don’t panic buy.” The pharmaceutical industry also generally demanded better production conditions.
Lauterbach called for solidarity when purchasing children’s medication: “A small home supply always makes sense.” But it’s not hoarding. “If we pull together here, we will succeed in doing the same thing we did in the gas crisis last winter,” said the minister. “Scarcity was the order of the day. People behaved sensibly and we got through well.”
Anti-shortage law makes stocks mandatory
In the last cold season, delivery problems for fever and cough syrups escalated after a wave of infections. In order to ensure the supply of medication, especially for children, an anti-shortage law came into force in July. As a safety buffer, it makes stocks of several months’ worth of frequently used products mandatory. However, the focus now is on faster-acting measures. The Federal Institute for Medicines has published an “urgent list” with a good 30 children’s products that currently need to be procured with the highest priority. There are various antibiotics, nasal drops, fever and pain-relieving juices and suppositories.
– The pharmaceutical industry: Production could be increased by up to 100 percent in some cases, Lauterbach reported. Plants operate around the clock, seven days a week, in three shifts. “We really went to the technical maximum,” said the German head of the Teva company, Andreas Burkhardt, who is also chairman of the association of manufacturers of off-patent medicines (Pro Generika). But it is important to talk about sustainable improvements so that we don’t end up in the same situation again next year. What is needed, among other things, is investment incentives for capacity expansion.
– The pharmacies: Pharmacies should be given more flexibility in order to be able to make arrangements if there is a lack of funds. This should make it easier to change the dosage form from drops to tablets, for example, without having to consult your doctor or get a new prescription. Switching to other pack sizes should also be easier.
– The doctors: Many practices are already preparing for the cold season. The President of the Professional Association of Pediatricians and Adolescents, Thomas Fischbach, made it clear that we would certainly have to assume a wave of infections again. The President of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Jörg Dötsch, spoke of important news for families that they are facing a more favorable starting situation. But this is initially “an intermediate step”.
– The families: What exactly does the appeal not to hoard mean? This was a sensible decision, said Lauterbach. Since fever often occurs overnight, “a small reserve” of fever juice is good in order to be able to react immediately. Fischbach explained that the aim is for parents to be able to help themselves if the child does not have to go straight to the doctor. This can be done with a bottle of ibuprofen juice. The President of the Federal Association of German Pharmacists’ Associations, Gabriele Regina Overwiening, said it was appropriate to have 100 milliliters of fever juice there.
Lauterbach said that if there is a strong wave of flu and a strong wave of infections with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), bottlenecks cannot be completely ruled out. If this were to happen, additional imports would be made possible. A weekly steering committee is to be set up in the ministry to monitor and respond more quickly in the autumn and winter. Criticism came from the opposition. Union politician Tino Sorge (CDU) said that Lauterbach was hectically relying on the principle of hope. And problems do not only affect the area of children’s medicines.