Chronic drug shortages frustrate EU pharmacists, patients

At a drug wholesaler warehouse in Belgium, shelves are emptier than they used to be. Like other EU nations, Belgium has increasingly experienced medicine shortages that vex pharmacists, exasperate patients and risk overloading public health services.

Its 27 states reported running critically short of 136 drugs, including antibiotics and medicines used to treat heart attacks, between 2022 and 2024, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said. ECA said the cause partially lies in supply chain snags and Europe's over-reliance on Asia for key drug components.