At the same time as the demand for medicines is growing globally, the supply has difficulty keeping up. The number of medicines with supply disruptions was 2,808 last year, while the corresponding number in 2022 was 1,615, according to the Medical Products Agency.
A particular shortage prevails for certain generic medicines, i.e. those that are medically equivalent to the original and contain the same active substance but are sold under a different name when the patent for the original has expired.
Right now, there is a shortage of cytostatics such as Fluorouracil, a chemotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancer, mainly in the stomach and intestinal canal, says Eva Pettersson, head of the medicine availability group at the Medical Products Agency, to TT.
Demand does not always control
The reasons for the supply disruptions are largely due to production (56.1 percent), for example, that production has been relocated. This is followed by market-related reasons (32.9 percent) and it is not always demand that controls. Even if there is high demand for a particular medicine, manufacturers sometimes choose to focus on newer treatments or leave the market entirely, according to Eva Pettersson.
Then the healthcare system must choose an alternative that is not necessarily better, but often more expensive, she says.
A change of medicine can also take time and lead to the patient's treatment being delayed.
This can cause concern for the patient and require a great deal of effort from the healthcare system, says Eva Pettersson.
Customs duties a threat
The high customs duties on medicines that the US is now threatening with are feared to worsen the medicine shortage in Sweden, with increased production costs and disruptions in production chains.
The government appointed an investigation at the end of June this year to investigate what measures are needed to create a safer access to medicines, both in everyday life and in heightened preparedness. The investigation will submit its report on November 30, 2026.
Ebba Blume/TT
Facts: Obligation to report shortage
TT
Pharmaceutical companies that do not report supply disruptions in time can, according to a law that came into force in 2023, be fined between 25,000 and 100 million kronor to the Medical Products Agency.
In June 2023, the number of supply disruptions increased sharply, which coincided with the new law. Some of these supply disruptions ceased quickly, which suggests that some reports were made as a precaution. During the full year 2023, the number of reported supply disruptions was 3,260.
Source: Medical Products Agency.
