CSN News: Drug shortages in Spain increased by 41% in the past year.

Wednesday, 29th January 2025 at 14:42

The number of shortages of drugs in Spanish pharmacies is on the increase. In pharmacies, there were 41% fewer shortages last year than in 2023. There were significant problems obtaining 4,983 drug products throughout the year, including some that are vital to maintaining treatment for large groups. There were nearly 1,400 additional products that had supply issues than one year ago.

Luda Partners has released its annual report which shows that out-of-stock incidents in Spanish pharmacies are a constant problem. This is because there are an average of 700 products in Spanish pharmacy that can be difficult to obtain at any given time. Luda Partners provides thousands of Spanish pharmacies a digital system to help them procure medicines that they need immediately. The report states that the most critical time in 2024 was January, when the shortage broke all records and most pharmacies could not supply 947 drugs.

Amongst the groups of drugs with the biggest supply problems in the last year, antidiabetics accounted for 13%. Psychostimulants prescribed for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) accounted for 11%. Treatments for peptic and gastro-oesophageal ulcers accounted for 5%. Antibacterials, digestive enzymes, and especially Kreon (enzymes used to treat pancreatic insufficiency) are also important but with smaller percentages.

In 2023, Ozempic was among the most difficult anti-diabetes medicines to obtain. Also, Trulicity (which is used for weight loss treatment), Fiasp and Novorapid were also hard to get. Concerta was the most in-demand ADHD drug in Spanish pharmacies, followed by Equasym (used in weight loss treatment plans), Elvanse (used in Medikinet), and Atenza.

Pylera is the only medicine in this group that has serious supply issues. The pharmacists say that there could be a shortage in the active ingredient. It is a similar situation to that of Concerta which had the most serious and long-lasting supply problems last year.

Most desperate shortage

Concerta has overtaken Ozempic to become the drug that faces the greatest supply issues in 2024. This ADHD medication has reported 8% fewer shortages than Ozempic, despite the fact that it is used to treat diabetes. In October of 2024, reported instances of product shortages were 54% greater than the record high during the peak Ozempic crisis of 2023.

A wide variety of factors are responsible for the shortage in Spain of medicines. Some are seasonal, like the lack of anti-influenza medicines in winter or antidepressants in autumn and in spring due to seasonal demand. The shortage of drugs can also occur when they become viral on social networks, such as with Ozempic. The interruptions to the supply chain caused by wars or other conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Palestine are another factor. Last but not least, the reduction in distribution is due to increased costs for pharmaceutical companies.

The experts call for change because other factors are permanent. The experts are asking that drug companies be able quickly replace a drug which is in short supply with a similar or alternative drug and to encourage these companies to produce their own label medicines in case of shortages. The group also wants to review the extremely low prices of official drugs that place Spain at the bottom when there is a shortage. Last but not least, they demand that the essential drugs, 80 percent of which are produced in Asia, be produced domestically to reduce the dependency on overseas supplies.

The tool is useful

The digitisation and localisation of medicines is one of the palliative actions already underway. The Digital Pharmacy Network in Spain, which has already 3,700 pharmacies on its books has allowed more than 452,000 people to find the medications they need in recent months.

These drug shortage data for Spain, said Luis Martín Lázaro as co-founder of Luda Partners, call for “the urgent implementation of effective strategies to guarantee access to essential medicines in order to prevent critical situations such as those that have occurred in other countries (like Colombia or the UK), where drug shortages have had fatal consequences, including loss of life.”