Medicine shortages are a growing global challenge. They occur when suppliers are unable to meet the demand from hospital pharmacies. There are many reasons for these situations, most of which stem from international developments affecting the highly complex supply chains that characterise the pharmaceutical market. At Amgros, we have established processes that enable us to respond quickly when supply disruptions arise and to help identify solutions for hospitals.
As a small country with a relatively small market, Denmark is not necessarily first in line when suppliers allocate medicines to Europe's larger countries. This is a challenge that Amgros takes very seriously. While medicine shortages can never be eliminated entirely, we can help keep the situation under control. We do so by implementing initiatives that make the Danish market an attractive destination for the supply of medicines.
Amgros and the hospital pharmacies therefore work closely together to manage supply disruptions and potential medicine shortages. As a result, hospitals in Denmark rarely experience shortages of medicines.
Amgros monitors all sales to hospital pharmacies and takes action as soon as a supply disruption is identified. We support the hospital pharmacies in their dialogue with suppliers regarding expected delivery dates for medicines that are on back order, and we work together to identify alternatives that comply with the obligations set out in our contracts while meeting hospitals' needs for medicines.
In particularly complex or critical situations, we also participate in national efforts to identify the most appropriate solutions to significant supply shortages.
To reduce the number of back orderes, Amgros continuously provides suppliers with information about the hospital pharmacies' expected demand. This helps ensure that suppliers are better equipped to deliver the medicines required and to prioritise supplies for the Danish market.
Each month, we systematically ask the hospital pharmacies whether they anticipate any changes in the consumption of selected medicines that are experiencing unusual demand during the coming period. If forecasts change significantly, we inform the supplier immediately.
This helps suppliers identify changes in hospital demand at an early stage and gives them the best possible basis for maintaining a stable supply of medicines to Danish hospitals.
We have special focus on dealing with back-order issues for the most important pharmaceuticals. In collaboration with the hospital pharmacies, we have selected a list of critical pharmaceuticals that are particularly important to have available at hospitals. We keep a special eye on these in of our daily work.
Together with the hospital pharmacies, Amgros maintains a strategic stock. This helps strengthen the security of supply for medicines. It provides greater flexibility by enabling us both to supplement the hospital pharmacies' own inventories and to procure larger quantities of medicines where doing so can contribute to a more reliable supply of medicines.
By maintaining strategic stock, we are better equipped to support a stable and continuous supply of medicines to Denmark's public hospitals.
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Procurement and supply
Amgros informs the hospital pharmacies when we have set up an agreement to purchase a pharmaceutical. After this, hospital pharmacies send their purchase orders to the supplier
READ MOREStrategic stocks
Hospital pharmacies and Amgros share a joint strategic stock. In combination with stocks at hospital pharmacies and suppliers, this is an important element in work to secure supplies of hospital medicines.
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