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A New Definition: The EU Answer To Medicines Shortages?

Pharmacists In Europe Face Supply Disruptions On A Regular Basis

 
• By Ian Schofield

What is a medicines shortage? The answer may seem obvious, but the fact that European regulators have only now come up with a commonly agreed definition suggests otherwise.

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Pharmacists in Europe have faced supply disruptions on a regular basis for many years • Source: Shutterstock

In the EU, shortages are defined differently depending on the member state concerned. Reporting requirements vary widely, as do methods of measuring and addressing shortages, and it has become increasingly clear that taking a common European approach is the only way forward.

Efforts to do so have, until now, had limited success. But in early July, after three years of work, the...

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