Emmanuel Macron, from Ardèche, who visited the Pharmaceutical Control Laboratory, presented a project to relocate drug production to France, to deal with a structural shortage of imported products, from antibiotics to paracetamol. The trip has been identified as the first in a series of presidential meetings devoted to strengthening French industrial and technological sovereignty which will continue until next Monday.
And from the Ardèche, he announced the publication of a list of 450 drugs for which the “securing of supply chains” would be a priority, by “resettlement” or “increased diversification of suppliers”. 80% of the active ingredients of medicines consumed in France are produced in China, India and other South-East Asian countries. The percentage rises to 95% for life-saving drugs.
“We have to make the transition”, he commented, announcing that “of the first 50 essential medicines which prove to be dependent on imports outside Europe, half of them – 25 – will see their production transferred or significantly increased on our soil in the coming weeks”.
For this, the new plan depends on the launch of eight resettlement projects and public and private investments worth 160 million euros, and the 25 properties that will be transferred in the second phase will be carried out with a first financial envelope. of 50 million euros provided by the State.
“Lack of basic materials”
Macron’s announcement comes as 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 to a shortage of pharmacies, according to the Elysée.
Paracetamol is the most widely used drug. 500 million cans are sold each year, making France the highest consumer country in Europe. But it is sometimes difficult to find in pharmacies.
It is one of 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 important antibiotic for the treatment of the urinary tract. , intestinal and lung infections. There are also a number of drugs used in intensive care and emergency, such as “paracetamol”, “morphine” and “fentanyl”, which are used to relieve mild to severe pain. And also “diazepam”, which is used in particular in the management of anxiety and convulsions in children and epilepsy. Six cancer drugs and three muscle relaxants used in intensive care units are also on the list.
“All drugs count”
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 medicine”, stressing that “all medicines are important and not because the medicine is less spent, because it responds to rare diseases, it is less so.” Importance”.
And he continues: “Every month we fight for medicine. We can have a box of medicine hours or days later. I used to order medicine two or three days ago, today ‘today I send orders about three weeks in advance to wholesalers or laboratories.” .
“change health policy”
And the health economist, Frédéric Bizard, believes that to overcome this crisis and strengthen industrial sovereignty in terms of medicines in France, “we must first get out of the polarity of production”.
He explains: “The most important causes of this crisis are the fragility of the production chains. Some companies monopolize the production of certain drugs, and this does not serve the market, because the demand is greater than the supply. This is why competition must be increased to reduce the risk of shortages.”
As for the “resettlement” plan, Bizard specifies that it is not in the hands of the state, but in the hands of investors. In this respect, he specifies, “it is not possible to force the return of companies or their entry into France, but they can be attracted by tax incentives and administrative facilities which favor the return of France to the leadership of the pharmaceutical industry”.
On the other hand, he affirms that “resettlement” is a “partial solution to the problem”, which, according to him, requires “diversifying the sources of supply and moving towards the conclusion of new partnerships with Africa, the countries of the Middle East, European and American countries, and avoiding total dependence on any particular country.”
It seems that despite the launch of 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 emergencies in the months and coming years”.
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