As the U.S. faces shortages of key antibiotics like penicillin, the European Commission is aiming to get out ahead of any potential supply shortfalls this winter by teaming up with manufacturers and healthcare providers.
As part of a joint effort to prevent shortages, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority have reviewed historical data on certain antibiotics and believe that supply should match demand this winter, the EMA said in a statement.
To help skirt shortages, the two organizations said they will work with drugmakers to ramp up production.
At the same time, healthcare providers should only prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, not viral infections, the EMA said.
Earlier this year, the EMA’s Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products enacted similar initatives to mitigate antibiotic shortages hitting the bloc.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has been dealing with a widespread penicillin shortage since April. Pfizer attributed the supply strains to a spike in demand exacerbated by a rise in syphilis infection rates. All of Pfizer’s dosages of its combination penicillin syringes are expected to run out during this year’s third quarter, while its long-acting and pediatric versions will diminish by the end of the second quarter, the company warned.