Acording to a survey conducted in late 2023 and early 2024, some 73 percent of European countries who reported experiencing medicine shortages in their countries during the last 12 months reported increased co-payments as an adverse impact. This graph shows the adverse impacts of medicine shortages on patients in European countries who reported medicine shortages.
Adverse impacts of medicine shortages on patients in European countries who reported medicine shortages as of 2023
Characteristic
Percentage of respondent countries
Cause distress and inconvenience
100%
Interruption of treatments
88%
Increased co-payments
73%
Sub-optimal treatment/inferior efficacy
73%
Medication errors
35%
Adverse events/greater toxicity
15%
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Percentage of respondent countries100%100%88%88%73%73%73%73%35%35%15%15%Cause distress and inconvenienceInterruption of treatmentsIncreased co-paymentsSub-optimal treatment/inferior efficacyMedication errorsAdverse events/greater toxicity
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%110%
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Original question: "In your experience, how have medicine shortages adversely affected patients in your country? Tick all that apply."
PGEU member countries who participated in the survey include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Medicine shortage was defined as every (temporary) inability for a community or hospital pharmacy to supply patients with the medicinal product requested as a result of factors beyond their control, requiring the dispensing of an alternative agent or even discontinuation of an ongoing medical therapy.
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PGEU. (January 31, 2024). Adverse impacts of medicine shortages on patients in European countries who reported medicine shortages as of 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 17, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331206/european-countries-medicine-shortages-impact-on-patients/
PGEU. "Adverse impacts of medicine shortages on patients in European countries who reported medicine shortages as of 2023." Chart. January 31, 2024. Statista. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331206/european-countries-medicine-shortages-impact-on-patients/
PGEU. (2024). Adverse impacts of medicine shortages on patients in European countries who reported medicine shortages as of 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 17, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331206/european-countries-medicine-shortages-impact-on-patients/
PGEU. "Adverse Impacts of Medicine Shortages on Patients in European Countries Who Reported Medicine Shortages as of 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331206/european-countries-medicine-shortages-impact-on-patients/
PGEU, Adverse impacts of medicine shortages on patients in European countries who reported medicine shortages as of 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331206/european-countries-medicine-shortages-impact-on-patients/ (last visited February 17, 2025)
Adverse impacts of medicine shortages on patients in European countries who reported medicine shortages as of 2023 [Graph], PGEU, January 31, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1331206/european-countries-medicine-shortages-impact-on-patients/
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