Critical drug shortages plague the EU due to supply chain issues, over-reliance on Asian production, and poor coordination.
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A new report from the European Court of Auditors warns that critical medicine shortages are a frequent public health threat across the EU, with record stockouts occurring in 2023 and 2024 affecting 136 essential drugs like antibiotics and heart medications. Shortages are widespread, affecting antidepressants, antibiotics, diabetes medication, ADHD drugs, and basic painkillers, though specific countries face unique issues such as France lacking all therapeutic classes post-2021, and Spain shifting focus from weight loss drugs to antidepressants in 2025. Smaller Eastern European nations like Lithuania and Bulgaria suffer disproportionately due to less profitable markets or chronic supply issues, leading some to restrict exports or encourage cross-border purchasing. Common causes for these shortages include heavy reliance on Asian production, procurement policies prioritizing low cost over supply chain resilience, administrative failures due to uncoordinated alert systems, and market fragmentation. The report concludes that the European Medicines Agency lacks legal power to enforce guaranteed supply, resulting in a vulnerable system where patients suffer from insufficient coordination.
