Nina Droff, edited by Yanis Darras 07:28, January 05, 2023

Every day, Europe 1 looks at an idea or a problem in your daily life.

Everywhere in France, amoxicillin is out of stock.

This drug, used in particular in children against winter illnesses, is directly impacted by the Covid-19 epidemic in China.

Professionals are concerned about the consequences this could have for the health of patients.

It is one of the most prescribed antibiotics for children and it is out of stock.

In seven out of ten pharmacies in France, no box of amoxicillin is available.

This medicine, mainly used against winter illnesses, is nevertheless essential for children like their parents.

So, faced with the shortage, around fifty pharmacies are authorized to produce their own capsules to relieve the shortage.

Because if the shelves are empty, it's partly due to the Covid-19 epidemic... in China!

The Asian giant manufactures the raw material for amoxicillin.

But with changes in Chinese health policy and the explosion of Covid-19 cases, supply chains are affected and medicines coming out of Chinese factories are requisitioned by the country's communist government in an attempt to treat the disease. population.

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“We have absolutely nothing left”

With such a situation, in pharmacies, patients must therefore get used to seeing sparse rows of medicines on the shelves of pharmacies.

With the explosion in demand, it is very difficult to supply everyone with antibiotics, especially amoxicillin, acknowledge the pharmacists. 

"Amoxicillin, generic of clamoxyl, is zero points. We have absolutely nothing left", alarms Frédérique, a pharmacist in the Paris region.

"We are forced to juggle contacting doctors, to find other possibilities (of treatment editor's note). "We also try to make phone calls to colleagues.

But clearly, it's a disaster, so we're going through a somewhat difficult winter," he admits at the microphone of Europe 1.

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Children "in danger of death"

A dismay shared by doctors who find themselves deprived of the most prescribed antibiotic every winter.

"For angina, otitis and pneumonia, amoxicillin is the recommended drug to treat them. We have no alternative to this treatment. All the people who take care of the children are very affected because they are the ones the most affected", underlines Anne Boctor, vice-president of the association Young Doctors and pediatrician in Annecy.

"I've never experienced this and clearly, it puts children in mortal danger. It's unacceptable", indignantly the professional.

And, according to the Medicines Agency, the situation should be very tense until next March.