Drug Shortages in France: Patients Now Prioritize Availability Over Low Cost

When forced to choose between rock-bottom prices and treatment availability, French patients increasingly prioritize securing their supply over maintaining low costs.

Visiting multiple pharmacies to find a standard prescription has become common across the country. According to the survey data, 33 % des Français report facing an unavailability issue for at least one medication for themselves or a family member in the preceding year. Among adults aged 26 to 45, that figure rises to 36 %.

For most affected consumers, the shortage means extra legwork. The poll indicates that 73 % of those impacted had to visit multiple pharmacies to source their medication. However, for more than 25 % of respondents, the disruption directly affected their healthcare routine. Patients reported starting a medication later than prescribed, interrupting a course of treatment temporarily, or stopping treatment altogether.

These persistent shortages are steadily eroding patient confidence. Among individuals who have experienced a drug shortage, 84 % now worry that necessary medications might become unavailable. By comparison, only 45 % of respondents who never faced a shortage share that fear. Across the total population, 58 % express concern over medicine availability.

Availability Outweighs Cost for Mature Medicines

The Norstat survey highlights a shift in public attitude toward older, off-patent drugs known as mature medicines. These low-cost treatments remain vital for managing common, chronic, and severe conditions. Historically, healthcare cost-containment policies targeted these inexpensive products to generate savings.

When asked to choose between keeping prices extremely low or guaranteeing supply chain stability, 81 % of survey respondents favored availability. Specifically, 42 % stated they would accept a slight price increase paid by the public health insurance system (Assurance Maladie) to secure manufacturing and distribution. Another 39 % emphasized that these drugs should be produced within Europe to protect against global supply shocks. Only 19 % preferred keeping current prices if it meant risking product shortages.

Efforts to drive down prices have often made manufacturing less profitable, concentrating production among a limited number of suppliers and exposing the supply chain to disruption. The polling data suggests the public is willing to recalibrate this equation, provided cost adjustments are modest and directly tied to reliable distribution.

Younger Demographics Back Supply Security

Support for supply-chain reform is particularly pronounced among younger adults. While younger populations might be expected to prioritize immediate healthcare affordability, the 16-to-25 age group emerged as most willing to accept modest price increases to secure medication availability.

Among respondents aged 16 to 25, 83 % believe essential medications should cost slightly more if higher reimbursement guarantees access. This compares to 75 % for the general population. Furthermore, 81% of young respondents support higher tariffs when production occurs in France or the European Union.

This openness to higher costs comes with clear boundaries. Across all age groups, 77 % of respondents condition their support for price increases on strict commitments regarding domestic manufacturing, reserve stocks, and continuous delivery. Rather than backing open-ended price hikes, consumers view the issue as an exchange: accepting a limited collective financial effort in exchange for reliable healthcare access.

“A mature medicine is not a medicine of the past. It is a treatment that continues to be prescribed, used, and necessary for patients,” said Caroline Jacquin, general manager of Cheplapharm France, noting that the survey results reflect a demand for concrete guarantees regarding treatment availability.