Emmanuel Macron, from the Ardèche region, who visited the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Control, presented a plan to move drug production to France, to deal with a structural shortage of imported products, from antibiotics to paracetamol. This trip was identified as the first in a series of presidential meetings dedicated to strengthening French industrial and technological sovereignty that will continue until next Monday..
And from Ardèche, he announced the publication of a list of 450 medicines for which “securing supply chains” would be a priority, through “resettlement” or “increased diversification of suppliers”. 80% of the active ingredients in medicines consumed in France are produced in China, India and other countries in Southeast Asia. The percentage rises to 95 percent for vital medicines.
“We must transition,” he commented, announcing that “of the first 50 essential medicines that prove dependent on imports from outside Europe, half of them – 25 – will see their production transferred or significantly increased to our soil in the coming weeks.”“.
For this, the new plan depends on launching eight resettlement projects and public and private investments with a value of 160 million euros, and the 25 real estate that will be transferred in the second phase will be carried out with a first financial cover of 50 million euros provided by the state..
“Lack of basic materials”
Macron’s announcement comes while the country recorded a lack of availability or depletion of more than 3,500 molecules last year, according to a study conducted for “France Asus Sonti” in March 2023. And 37% of French people faced a shortage of pharmacies, according to the Elysee.
Paracetamol is the most widely used drug. 500 million cans are sold each year, making France the country with the highest consumption in Europe. But it is sometimes difficult to find it in pharmacies .
It is among the 25 drugs whose production will be transferred to France, along with “Amoxicillin”, which is a common antibiotic used in many bacterial infections, and “Ciprofloxacin”, which is an antibiotic important for the treatment of urinary tract, intestinal and pulmonary infections. There are also a number of drugs used in resuscitation and emergency, such as “paracetamol”, “morphine” and “fentanyl”, which are used to calm mild to severe pain. And also “diazepam”, which is used in particular in the management of anxiety and convulsions in children and epilepsy. Six anti-cancer drugs and three muscle relaxants used in intensive care units also appear on the list.
“All medications are important“
The pharmacist and head of the Federation of Pharmacists, Pierre-Olivier Variot, said in his statement to “Sky News Arabia” that “it is time for France to achieve its independence in terms of medicines,” stressing that “all medicines are important and not because the medicine is less spent, because it responds to rare diseases, it is less.” Importance“.
And he continues, “Every month, we fight to get some medicines. We may get a box of medicine hours or days later. I used to order some medicines two or three days ago, today I send orders about three weeks in advance to wholesalers or laboratories.”“.
“change health policy”
And the health economist, Frederic Bizard, believes that in order to overcome this crisis and to strengthen industrial sovereignty with regard to medicines in France, “we must first move away from the polarity of production.” “.
He explains, “The most important causes of this crisis are the fragility of production chains. Some companies monopolize the production of certain medicines, and this does not serve the market, because demand is greater than supply. Therefore, competition must be increased to reduce the risks of shortages.”.”
As for the “resettlement” plan, Bizard points out that it is not in the hands of the state, but in the hands of investors. In this regard, he says, “It is not possible to force the return of companies or their entry into France, but they can be attracted by providing tax incentives and administrative facilities that encourage France’s return to leadership in the pharmaceutical industry.”“.
On the other hand, he affirms that “resettlement” is a “partial solution to the problem”, which according to him requires “diversifying sources of supplies and heading towards concluding new partnerships with Africa, countries in the Middle East, European countries and American countries, and avoiding complete dependence on a particular country.”“.
It seems that despite launching this plan, the crisis will not be resolved now, as the head of state warned that the situation will remain tense for some time, “we will still have emergency cases in the coming months and years.”
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