Europe struggles with chronic drug shortages, auditors warn

(Reuters) -Europeans remain at risk of running short of medicines, including common antibiotics and other vital treatments, a European Court of Auditors report showed Wednesday.

The European Commission identified fragile supply chains and heavy reliance on Asian manufacturers, especially for essential drugs such as antibiotics and painkillers, as key causes, the ECA said.

In July, European crisis chief Hadja Lahbib said the EU aims to stockpile critical medical equipment and vaccines in case of future health crises and to create a network to improve coordination among member states.

But the ECA warned that stockpiling in some countries could worsen medical shortages elsewhere in the bloc.

Shortages peaked in 2023 and 2024, with EU countries running critically short of 136 medicines between January 2022 and October 2024, the report said.

ECA said the shortages are a "chronic headache for the EU," with the bloc still lacking a “well‑oiled system” for addressing severe medicine shortages.

Auditors found the system to prevent drug shortages lacked a solid legal framework and timely information, with the European Medicines Agency, the region's drug regulator, having limited powers outside health crises.

"Medicine shortages can have severe consequences for patients, compromise public health and come at a high cost for doctors, pharmacies and countries alike," said Klaus Heiner Lehne, the ECA member leading the audit.

Regulatory barriers in the EU's medicine market hinder cross-border redistribution, worsening drug shortages and unequal access, the report said.

The Commission has proposed legal changes that aim to cut reliance on countries such as China and India and, once passed, could significantly improve the system, the report added.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)