Drug shortages in Belgium are worsening, according to the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AFMPS).
In 2023, 3,596 drugs were reported as unavailable for an average of 54 days, marking a steady increase over several years. The rise between 2022 and 2023 alone was 20%.
Over the past 30 days, 3.5% of the total drug supply temporarily was unavailable, according to pharmastatus.be.
Last year, 41 drugs were deemed critically unavailable. This refers to cases "where there is no alternative and they are unavailable for over a month," according to the AFMPS. Among them is Novo Nordisk's well-known diabetes and obesity drug, Ozempic, which will have limited availability until at least the end of June 2024.
Excluding those 41 cases, alternatives, treatment modifications, or "wholesaler and pharmacy stocks are normally sufficient to meet demand for short-term unavailability," the AFMPS insisted.
Production delays, logistical issues, and a lack of active ingredients are cited as reasons for these shortages.
A royal decree published in late January provides a legal framework to temporarily prohibit the export of certain essential drugs from Belgium.
