When a conflict comes, wherever it may be, in Europe, they always realize that they were not prepared to face it. It happened with the war in Ukraine. Until TRUMP, the president of the United States, came to say, in his own way, that they were not prepared, they did not put their minds to the need to generate a military infrastructure in line with the role that Europe plays in the world. Now, when the withdrawal of American forces from Europe is considered a (probable) certainty, there is also talk of militarily strengthening our armed forces. Generate a common army and try to become the world power that we say we are, when the reality is precisely the opposite.
Well, as a result of a new conflict where the strategy of the United States and Israel prevails, against the terrorist state of Iran, a new front opens in Europe, the most likely lack of some basic medications, such as Ibuprofen and Paracetamol in the pharmacies of many European cities.
Why is this happening in the 21st century? From my point of view and that of other analysts, due to lack of foresight, Europe is always late.
The raw materials (active ingredients or APIs, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) of the paracetamol and the ibuprofen They are not manufactured in a single country: their production is quite globalized, but today it is concentrated mainly in Asia.
China is the world’s largest producer of pharmaceutical raw materials. It manufactures a large part of the active ingredient in paracetamol and ibuprofen; Many Western companies depend on Chinese suppliers for these components.
Likewise, India is another key player, especially generic medicines, as it produces both active ingredients and finished medicines. But also, sometimes it depends on intermediate materials from China.
In Europe, countries such as Germany, Italy or Spain also have production, but it is more limited. Because? Three reasons are stated, the quality of European products is higher, the regulation for their manufacturing is stricter and also, it is clear that the cost of production for pharmaceutical companies is lower in Asian countries. And although in recent years, the European Union has tried to recover part of production, it does not seem to have shown signs of success.
Exactly the same thing happens to the United States as to Europe, because although it has some production capacity, it usually imports a large part of the active ingredients and focuses more on the final formulation and distribution.
A global event such as the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear to us that we had, both in Europe and the United States, a high dependence on Asia to obtain this type of medicines considered basic. For this reason, plans to generate and reorganize part of the production were promoted in Europe and the US. However, the conflict with Iran has once again revealed the little or no preparation, especially in Europe in matters, not only weapons, but also health. But why does that happen? Why wasn’t a widespread industry proposed so that shortages would not occur in the future?
The war in Iran, in direct terms, would have no repercussions if we had done our homework. Neither paracetamol nor ibuprofen depend on said country in conflict as a key producer of raw materials. However, we must not forget what we consume.
Medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, among others, usually synthesize some of their elements from petrochemical derivatives, hence the existing literature against the progressive consumption of these medications. And the rise in oil prices can make pharmaceutical companies play upwards with prices.
Much of the world’s trade in these products passes through routes close to the Strait of Hormuz, therefore, if there are tensions or blockades, shipments of raw materials and finished products are delayed, thus increasing logistics costs. Therefore, two things can occur, the first is a possible delay in said compounds and a specific shortage. But when we see headlines in the press talking about this topic, we already know that delay or shortage means a price increase.
And although pharmaceutical companies claim that there is no risk of shortages, some pharmacies already point out the opposite. But the problem is not this shortage, but the little or no capacity of our common European government format, which has not yet corrected its errors.
However, we must not forget that Europe could produce essential medicines for its own consumption, including paracetamol and ibuprofen. The problem is not technical, but economic, industrial and political.
Countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain or France have an advanced pharmaceutical industry, chemical and technological knowledge, and a solid regulatory infrastructure. In fact, Europe was a major global producer for decades. So why is nothing being done, or nothing was done, after COVID? It’s all a question of cost. Energy is more expensive, wages are higher, and environmental regulations are stricter. Producing in Europe can cost, we are told, between 2 to 5 times more expensive than in Asia. For this reason, production was moved to Asia, to reduce costs, also closing down an entire European industry that was certainly brittle.
Europe, it is also this type of medicine and others, has become addicted to other countries, where salaries do not matter, where pollution does not matter and where human rights do not matter. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are inexpensive medicines, especially in Europe, but not in the United States. Producing them again on European soil would not be viable, unless a strategic plan was initiated, at least for ten years. And we all know that the Iran war will not last that long. Soon there will be no more uncertainty, although yes, perhaps in a few days the boxes of certain widely consumed medications will go up a few cents in your usual pharmacy.
Originally published at LaDamadeElche.com
