Winter is looking better than previous ones, with the availability of the most commonly used drugs during this period "favorable," the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) announced on Thursday.
"After several winter seasons marked by shortages, this 2025-2026 season begins in a context of favorable availability of medicines at the national level," indicated the health authority on the occasion of the launch of its winter plan aimed at monitoring stocks and supplies of winter medicines in order to anticipate any difficulties.
For the past three years, the agency has been rolling out a plan every winter to avoid drug shortages during a period marked by a high incidence of various diseases, whether bacterial (requiring antibiotics) or viral, such as seasonal flu.
Since 2023, 13 molecules have been monitored, including antibiotics, fever reducers, corticosteroids and asthma treatments.
This year, a 14th molecule (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 1000 mg/125 mg) has been added to the list of monitored antibiotics in response to the difficulties reported by health professionals last winter and to "the usual increase in prescriptions over the period," according to a press release from the ANSM.
The winter plan also provides for the monitoring of "essential medical devices," such as pediatric and adult resuscitation equipment or rapid diagnostic orientation tests (TROD), the institution adds.
The early 2020s were marked by shortages of certain treatments, including common antibiotics such as amoxicillin, particularly in versions intended for children.
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