Medicine shortages are a complex issue with no single solution. Fighting them takes a team.
Through the #ItTakesATeam campaign, EMA and its partners aim to raise awareness of the actions taken at EU level to prevent and manage medicine shortages, and to highlight the role of each actor involved.
Fighting medicine shortages: It takes a team
EMA in collaboration with:
-The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)
-European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP)
-European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM)
-European Paediatric Neurology Society (EPNS)
-European Community Pharmacists (PGEU)
-The European Union of General Practitioners (UEMO)
A medicine shortage happens when the supply of a medicine cannot meet the demand at national level.
The causes of medicine shortages are complicated, and often depend on many factors.
Shortages can affect any medicine – from antibiotics and painkillers to highly specialised treatments used in hospitals.
For instance, in 2023, medicines most in shortage in EU hospital pharmacies were antimicrobials, painkillers and anesthetics. This is according to a medicine shortage survey report by the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists.
When medicines are in short supply, patients may worry about access to the therapies they rely on.
For more information on medicine shortages, see:
Average time EU pharmacists spent managing medicine shortages in 2024
Most medicine shortages in the EU in 2024 involved antimicrobials, followed by painkillers (43%) and anesthetics (37%).
Generic substitution is the most common solution used by community pharmacists during shortages, followed by compounding formulations (64%) and sourcing from alternative suppliers (61%).
There are two broad causes of medicine shortages: supply issues and demand issues.
Fighting medicine shortages is like playing on a well-coordinated team — every player has a role, and they must work together.
When stakeholders work together effectively, patients across Europe can continue to access the medicines they need.
Click on the expandable sections below to see how the partners in the #ItTakesATeam campaign support patients during medicine shortages.
More information:
Everyone has a role to play in ensuring medicines remain available — including you.
Here’s how you can support efforts to manage and prevent shortages:
"As paediatric neurologists, we really see the impact of shortages on our patients and their families. Treatment, for example for epilepsy, cannot be stopped. Our role is to guide, support, and act decisively to safeguard each child’s health."
Ilona Kopyta and Kevin Rostasy
European Paediatric Neurology Society
"Antibiotic shortages were a real threat to patients. By securing alternative suppliers in Europe, we made sure patients could get the medicines they needed."
Pieter Jan Desiere
Medicine shortages specialist, EMA
"The ESMP gives us in-depth insight into shortages and allows us to track medicine supply and demand when close monitoring is needed, helping us act quickly to prevent shortages and ensure critical medicines remain available across Europe."
Sofia Zastavnik
European Shortages Monitoring Platform product owner, EMA