Magazine · Issue 01 · Health systems
Running low
The European Medicines Agency assesses medicine shortages that affect, or could affect, more than one EU country. On 15 September 2026, its catalogue listed 29 ongoing shortage entries for human medicines, covering treatments from chemotherapy and insulin to a tuberculosis drug. Some shortages may ease as manufacturing recovers; others involve decisions to discontinue products or withdraw particular presentations. Europe’s Critical Medicines Act aims to strengthen supply, but cannot guarantee that every product stays on the market.
