Fimea reports hundreds of unreported medication shortages in Finland

Pharmaceutical companies have failed to report hundreds of availability issues to Fimea, the Finnish Medicines Agency, despite a legal requirement to do so. These unreported shortages create challenging situations for everyday life: doctors prescribe medications that may not be immediately available.

Fimea, along with the Parallel Import Industry Association, emphasizes the need to search for solutions at the EU level and increase national oversight. A recent evaluation highlighted that, between September and October alone, hundreds of instances of unreported availability issues occurred. For example, in September, there were approximately 150 medications with unreported shortages, and this number rose to over 200 in October, despite Fimea receiving reports on just over 650 shortages in total.

Under the law, companies must notify Fimea of any shortages at least two months in advance to allow manufacturers time to respond by increasing production. However, the existing gaps lead to situations where patients leave pharmacies empty-handed, prompting doctors to receive requests for prescription renewals when medications are unavailable.

Timo Mauriala, head of a unit at Fimea, acknowledges the problems with reporting and warns that penalties may not be a viable solution, as the Finnish market is small, presenting the risk of companies withdrawing entirely. He calls for a focus on EU-level resolutions instead.

According to Inka Puumalainen of the Pharmacists’ Association, availability issues have increasingly become the norm in recent years. The industry is urging politicians to take action, advocating for free notifications of shortages and increased governmental oversight to ensure compliance with the law.