The Malta Chamber of Pharmacists has said that much is being discussed about the present situation of reduced access to medicines in community pharmacies, “especially certain paediatric antibiotics and though, incorrectly, cough syrups.”

In a statement, the Chamber claimed that in its opinion, “the media may be contributing to increasing the pressure. The underlying maxim remains that of getting the right medicine to the patient needing it at the right time.”

It stressed that “the media should be playing a very important role in factually informing the public without unnecessary sensationalism, as caused by naming and listing products, which causes gratuitous panic and pressure on pharmacists and prescribers.”

the Chamber explained that “medicinal products, whether originators or generics, are received by wholesale dealers, in varying amounts, and, in the present circumstances, the Chamber and pharmacists expect that these are equitably distributed immediately to community pharmacies.

However, “the real situation is that they are quickly depleted off the pharmacy shelves,” it added.

It went on to say “it is a moot point by now to state that Malta is not alone in Europe to feel the effect of the multivariate reasons resulting in shortages of certain medicines not least antibiotics.”

The Chamber said that these can be summarised as follows:

– Lack of supply of raw materials by primarily India and China to the international Pharma industry to produce the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and other manufacturing problems.

– Issues with logistics in transport to manufacturers and importers/wholesale dealers.

– These issues have been compounded by Covid-19 pandemic, since 2020, and more generally in Europe, by the Ukraine War early last year, further causing shortages and increasing demand in other countries.

– Brexit has affected UK products; the UK has itself suffered shortages so, as other countries, it is not exporting. Moreover, Brexit has resulted in unviable pricing and bureaucratic 3rd country shipping costs.

– Following the downtrend in flu and colds during the Covid-19 precautionary practices, there has been a surge since September 2022, increasing demand of antibiotics, though these are ineffective in viral conditions, and cold and cough remedies; this development has skewed available stocks and forecasts.

The Chamber reiterated that the role of primary healthcare professionals, Pharmacists and Doctors, and the Health Authorities, is to support, guide and educate the public on the correct use of any available antibiotics.

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