Drug shortages in Netherlands reach record levels in 2024

In 2024, there were 1,563 different types of drug shortages in the Netherlands, Azernews reports, citing the foreign media.

More than 4.5 million people in the Netherlands continue to suffer from drug shortages, which reached record levels last year. The average duration of a drug shortage is 104 days. However, 31 drugs have been unavailable for more than a year.

According to Thijmen Hendriksen of the Netherlands Patients' Federation, many people worry whether they will be able to take their medication next month, which is why some patients seek their medicine abroad. "A different drug is used in one out of five cases. This can lead to increased costs and other side effects," Hendriksen notes.

Around two hundred vital drugs are difficult to find, including antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, asthma medications, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Of the missing drugs, 193 are "vital"—needed within hours to prevent patient death.

Experts say there is no solution to the drug shortage problem. Higher drug prices have placed the Netherlands at the top of the waiting list