There have been bottlenecks in the supply of medicines for several months. Austrian pharmacies are reacting accordingly, but what will the current situation look like before the summer and will there be any easing or clarity on this issue in the future? Krone.tv presenter Raphaela Scharf discussed this with the member of the Executive Committee of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists, Priv.-Doz. GDR. Philipp Saiko, spoken in the current issue of the health magazine.
Of course, given the rising temperatures in the warmer months of the year, the number of colds is also decreasing, like Priv.-Doz. GDR. Philipp Saiko asked about the current situation, notes. Accordingly, the need for the relevant drugs also decreases. But the current relaxation does not solve the original problem, adds the member of the executive committee of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists, Priv.-Doz. GDR. Philip Saiko. “That will remain the case and a generalized solution is also needed. Because the past few weeks and months have been an enormous burden for all parents of sick children, for the patients and, of course, not least for us pharmacists.”
Supply bottlenecks as a problem of globalization
The challenge is Priv.-Doz. GDR. According to Saiko a global one. Background: For cost reasons, many manufacturers around the world only produce at one or two locations, preferably in Asia. “And if a defect occurs at such a location and production stops, you can easily imagine that global supply problems arise very quickly,” the doctor said in an interview with Raphaela Scharf. The reasons can be varied: from a technical defect to an unavailable raw material to banalities such as a lack of packaging material, as the member of the executive committee of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists points out. In addition, the rigid corona policy in the countries of the Far East has been a reason for the more difficult production conditions in recent years.
A solution was found in the short term, especially in Austria, with antibiotic juices for children. How did that happen? The Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists and the Austrian Association for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine have campaigned massively for a solution that is as unbureaucratic as possible in the interest of children and young people. As a result, the production of antibiotics can now also take place in pharmacies, provided the right raw material is available, says Priv.-Doz. GDR. Philipp Saiko, “because that could of course mitigate supply bottlenecks to some extent”.
A pharmacy has an average of about 6,000 medicines in stock
Now, especially in Austria, we are used to always and immediately getting the medicine we want, as long as it is still available, of course. How is it arranged in practice, in the pharmacy, that is, how many drugs, for example, do the country’s pharmacies generally have in stock? This varies enormously from company to company, but on average there are about 6000 different medicines or products in a typical Austrian pharmacy. The order does not go directly through the manufacturer, but usually through the pharmaceutical wholesaler. According to the doctor, this one has the largest assortment and usually supplies every pharmacy, at least in urban areas, even several times a day.
“So my inventory can be replenished and replenished with this, and even if, for example, they come to me now and want something that I don’t have with me at the moment because we rarely need it – so it’s not an inventory item.” – then I can organize it for them in two to three hours. It’s that fast,” explains Priv.-Doz. GDR. Saiko.
Every day 500,000 people receive advice in pharmacies
Now when I go to the pharmacy, the advice is also very important. How many people advise Austrian pharmacies every day? According to the Chamber of Pharmacists, around 500,000 people receive advice every day throughout Austria, “and this personal and, above all, discreet advice is one of our core competencies,” emphasizes Priv.-Doz. GDR. Saiko talking to Raphaela Scharf. The advice is very, very important, because it’s not just about the drugs. Because in addition to prescription medicines, there are also self-care medicines, but also a wealth of nutritional supplements or herbal products for which “absolute advice” would be needed, the connoisseur knows.
Interaction is a big topic here, as are side effects. The effect may decrease, shorten, or possibly even both. This applies to a wide variety of preparations, including anticoagulants, but also psychotropic drugs and contraceptive pills. “You can imagine what happens now when the contraceptive pill weakens considerably in its effect.”
Pharmacies are addressing many important advisory topics
However, it is not only about interactions and side effects, but also about effects that affect an individual product, adds the member of the Presidium of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists. As an example, he mentions the freely available St. John’s wort, which is widely used in Austria. It contains an ingredient that has a photosensitizing effect, ie one becomes more sensitive to the sun. “People with fair skin, like the two of us, should therefore avoid direct sunlight or go to the tanning bed, because a very high number of sunburn incidents can occur. These are all advisory topics that we naturally pick up on and that are important,” says Priv.-Doz. GDR. Finally Saiko.
That means: do not only read the package leaflet, but also rely on expert advice from the pharmacist.
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Source: Krone
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