Children are often particularly affected. But especially for them, there are not always the right medicines to get them back on their feet quickly. "Since the summer, it has become increasingly difficult for us to get fever-reducing juices or suppositories for children," says Damorena Grigore, owner of the pharmacy in the former Knauber building. There have been shortages of pharmaceutical products since the outbreak of the pandemic two years ago, but "now the Ukraine war is exacerbating the situation," she observes.

However, the current supply bottlenecks do not always have to do with the fact that some active ingredients are not available. "If, for example, the package inserts or blister foils for a preparation were produced in Ukraine before the outbreak of war, the entire supply chain is now blocked," the pharmacist explains. Based on the experiences of the last two years, Grigore has taken precautions in the meantime. She has stocked up on various active ingredients in her own laboratory to such an extent that she can produce some medicines herself in case of need.

"But it is really very frustrating and exhausting when you can't supply your patients the way you would like to," she says. If a medicine is not available at all, then one would look for a substitute preparation together with the doctor and the patient.

A problem that is also known at the Hausdorff pharmacy in Kessenich. "Generics are available for many medicines. But most customers attach importance to getting medicines from a particular company. Although there are products with the same ingredients from another company," says Yasmine Keddo. "And if we do get a small batch from one company, the packs are already sold out again before we have put them on the shelves." The situation is currently dramatic for patients who are dependent on a very specific neuroleptic. "It is not available at all at the moment," the pharmacist says.

Lisa Gestermann from the "Apotheke am KAP" (Konrad-Adenauer-Platz) in Beuel says the situation is "tense" for them too. "But at the moment we still have everything in stock." How much longer? "I can't say," says the pharmacist. And how long it will take for new orders to actually be delivered is something no one can predict at the moment either. Due to the supply bottlenecks at the beginning of the corona pandemic, the team at the pharmacy at the KAP has generously filled the stocks. "That's why we still have everything available at the moment," says the pharmacist.

Hans Georg Lingscheid is short of around 80 items at the Damian pharmacy on Annaberger Straße. Not only painkillers and fever juices for children. "No," he says. "There are also big gaps in the area of blood pressure reducers, acute medicines and in antibiotics." While some customers may well accept an alternative with the same active ingredient, others would rather drive from pharmacy to pharmacy with their prescription in order to possibly get the exact remedy prescribed after all. Many, however, would accept a generic drug after intensive counselling.

"But that is often not possible, especially for older patients. They are used to a certain package. If they now get a medicine in a different presentation, they are quickly irritated," says Lingscheid. The production of medicines in his own laboratory is not an issue for him at the moment. "Firstly, we can't always get hold of all the active ingredients either, and secondly, we wouldn't be able to keep the prices at all," he explains.

Margot Fischer-Pilhatsch from the Mühlenhof pharmacy in Lengsdorf is annoyed and desperate. Annoyed because the current state of affairs was partly caused by politics and the rebate contracts. "Desperate because we can no longer help," she says. Because there are neither painkillers for children nor medicines for dementia patients. Especially in the emergency service, one can feel the desperation of the patients. "And the cold season has only just begun."

Original text: Gabriele Immenkeppel

Translation: Mareike Graepel