Tackling medicine shortages during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Compilation of governmental policy measures and developments in 38 countries

In response to increasing shortages of medicines, governments have implemented legislative and non-legislative policy measures. This study aimed to map these policies across high-income countries in Europe and beyond as of 2023 and to analyse developments in governmental approaches since the beginning of the pandemic. Information was collated from 38 countries (33 European countries, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel and Saudi Arabia) based on a survey conducted with public authorities involved in the Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Information (PPRI) network in 2023. 34 countries requested pharmaceutical companies to notify national registers of upcoming shortages and 20 countries obliged manufacturers and/or wholesalers to stock supply reserves of critically needed medicines. Further common measures included export bans for defined medicines (18 countries), regulatory measures to facilitate import and use of alternative medicines (35 countries) and multi-stakeholder coordination (28 countries). While the legislation of 26 countries allows imposing sanctions, particularly for non-compliance to reporting requirements, fines were rather rarely imposed. Since 2022, at least 18 countries provided financial incentives, usually in the form of price increases of some off-patent medicines. Overall, several policies to address medicine shortages were taken in recent years, in some countries as part of a comprehensive package (e.g., Australia, Germany). Further initiatives to secure medicine supply in a sustainable manner were being prepared or discussed.