There are currently no signs of a shortage of the main medicines used during the winter, including certain antibiotics, the Medicines Agency announced on Monday, but assured that it would remain vigilant after several difficult seasons.
"To date, the availability of medicines is assured," declared the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM), in a press release published following a meeting in mid-July with the main players in the sector: pharmaceutical groups, pharmacists, etc.
For the past two years, the agency has launched a winter plan designed to avoid drug shortages during this season, which is systematically marked by the significant circulation of various diseases, whether bacterial infections – treatable with antibiotics – or viral infections such as seasonal flu.
The early 2020s were marked by shortages of certain treatments, including common antibiotics like amoxicillin, particularly versions intended for children.
The winter of 2024-2025 was relatively mild in this regard, as the ANSM points out, with an improvement in the supply of amoxicillin. But another antibiotic, clarithromycin, was the focus of supply difficulties.
With a view to the winter of 2025-2026, the ANSM has therefore taken stock to determine whether there are any fears of shortages for the main winter medicines: these include not only antibiotics, but also fever-reducing medications and asthma treatments.
Generally speaking, "stocks are being replenished, both at laboratories, wholesale distributors, and in pharmacies," the agency noted. "Supply forecasts, in line with the forecast needs, transmitted by laboratories, do not predict any signs of future tension for next season."
As a result, "we are not activating any specific instructions or anticipated distribution measures at this stage," the ANSM reports.
However, the agency assures that it is maintaining "close monitoring" of the situation.
This point only concerns drugs used to treat major winter illnesses. Shortages persist for many treatments, particularly in psychiatry for several psychotropic drugs.
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