Australia is grappling with a severe medicine shortage, with more than 300 drugs currently in short supply and another 80 expected to join the list, according to doctors and pharmacists who are urging the government to implement a national strategy to address the crisis.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) lists 320 medications as being in short supply, including drugs for diabetes, hormone replacement therapy, depression, nausea, stroke, and contraception. Among these, around 50 are classified as critical. An additional 80 drugs are anticipated to face shortages soon, including anti-venom for funnel web spider bites and a leukaemia treatment.
The Pharmacy Guild has also reported shortages of over-the-counter cold and flu medications, such as liquid paracetamol for children, with new measures being introduced to manage supplies. Dr Karen Price, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated supply chain issues, making the problem more acute in recent years. “For a developed nation, it is pretty dire, and medicines are not easily substituted between each other,” she said.
Dr Price called for a national strategy focusing on supply chain management and increased local manufacturing. “Being a small market means there’s not a lot of wriggle room in our on-the-shelf reserves,” she noted. Nick Panayiaris, acting president of The Pharmacy Guild, highlighted the sovereign risk, stating that Australia had lost much of its medicine manufacturing capacity, particularly for generics, which are now largely produced in India and China. He urged the government to consider all measures to improve security of supply, including local production and sourcing of raw ingredients.
A new medicine supply guarantee signed between the federal government and drug manufacturers aims to address some shortages of PBS-listed drugs. From July 2023, companies will be required to hold a minimum of four to six months of stock in Australia for certain medicines, but this will come with price increases for up to 900 drugs. Panayiaris described the current situation as “Russian roulette” for pharmacies, with no certainty on when stock levels will normalise.
