Medicine shortages and remedies for patients
Sometimes medicines that people need are not available at the pharmacy. This may be due to a medicine shortage. Medicine shortages are monitored by the Icelandic Medicines Agency (IMA), and in important cases news on medicine shortages is published.
A medicine shortage is when a medicine that a person needs is not available even though it should be on the market. Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for keeping sufficient stocks of medicines for sale to meet patients' needs. Shortages can happen for various reasons and are not unique to Iceland.
IMA's role under the Medicinal Products Act is to monitor the supply of medicines so that medicine shortages have as little impact as possible on patient safety.
Please note! If you use an exempt medicine (undanþágulyf), it is good to know that wholesalers are not required to report shortages of such medicines, and IMA therefore cannot closely monitor shortages of exempt medicines.
What can I do when it is difficult to get the medicines I need?
At any given time, a relatively small proportion of the many medicines marketed in Iceland are in short supply. However, shortages of medicines on sale can arise for various reasons, and the Icelandic medicines market is more vulnerable than those of many other countries due to its small size and geographical location.
When a medicine is not available, it can cause uncertainty and inconvenience. In such cases, the following remedies can be considered:
1. Look up information on the shortage on lyf.is
All information published by IMA on medicine shortages is available in the Medicinal Product Information Catalogue (Sérlyfjaskrá); this can help patients understand the situation.
2. Ask your pharmacy for advice
Medicine shortages can often be resolved directly at the pharmacy. The staff can check whether:
the same medicine is available in a different strength or package size
a comparable medicine from another manufacturer is available (generic medicine)
the medicine is available at another pharmacy
If the pharmacy cannot help through the usual means, exempt medicines may be available. In certain cases, pharmacy staff can switch to an exempt medicine without contacting a doctor — IMA has then assessed such switches as safe.
3. Contact your health centre
If the pharmacy cannot resolve the shortage, contact your health centre. The doctor can assess whether another treatment is suitable and issue a new prescription.
Tips for reducing medicine shortages
It is the responsibility of the companies that import medicines and place them on the market to ensure that medicines are available, and harmonised criteria and rules apply to this throughout the European Economic Area (EEA). These companies must report anticipated medicine shortages to IMA at least two months in advance in order to reduce the impact of medicine shortages on the healthcare system and patients. Read more about the obligations of pharmaceutical companies in medicine shortages.
Cooperation between pharmaceutical companies, IMA and the healthcare system is important to reduce the impact of medicine shortages, but individuals can also do their part by keeping the following tips in mind:
Do not buy more than you need.
Avoid buying more of your medicines than you need. There is a risk that someone else who needs the medicine will go without, and it is also necessary to use medicines before they expire.
Renew your medicines in good time.
It is good to collect your next supply of medicines in good time. This gives you the opportunity to respond if necessary.
Report the medicine shortage to IMA.
It is easy to report a medicine shortage anonymously via a form on Ísland.is. IMA's medicine shortage team reviews all reports of medicine shortages and follows them up.
Service provider
Icelandic Medicines Agency