Antibiotic shortages could be improved with license law update

Anti-diabetic and cancer drugs are among other key treatments impacted by the shortages.

The scarcity stems from a range of factors including global supply chain issues, with the majority of affected drugs produced in India and China.

The regulator told ACM that antibiotic supply was expected to improve within the next three months.

Physician and ANU Professor of microbiology Peter Collignon told ACM supply chain issues had affected Australian drug importation for decades and continued to worsen.

"Our supply chains are increasingly narrow," Professor Collignon said.

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Professor Collignon urged the federal government to broaden laws that licensed drug importation into Australia so generic alternatives to essential drugs could be sourced.

He said significant logistical and financial issues could be avoided if drug importation licenses required pharmaceutical companies to provide steady and affordable access to patients.

That's because pharmaceutical companies, that hold drug importation licenses for Australia, could decide to discontinue supply based on low profits and could limit alternative importation options.

To access internationally available alternatives, doctors engaged in the lengthy bureaucratic processes of applying for select importation through the TGA's special access scheme, he said.

The cost, both in time and money "invariably" was passed on to the patient, Professor Collignon said.

"The responsibility for ensuring consistent and cost-effective access to essential drugs should be with the license holder," the professor said.

If pharmaceutical companies were no longer prepared to supply the licensed drug, the importation rights should return to government control so affordable generic alternatives could be made available, Professor Collignon said.

A Pharmacy Guild of Australia spokesperson told ACM that patients should speak with their pharmacist if they had difficulty finding a medicine for themselves or their family members.

A spokesperson for the federal department of health and aged care told ACM the TGA had approved multiple overseas-registered alternative antibiotics for temporary supply under section 19A of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.