Months of paracetamol supply woes

An ongoing global shortage of the painkiller paracetamol is likely to cause headaches in New Zealand for months to come.

The issue first arose early last year in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, with the Government introducing restrictions on the amount of prescribed paracetamol available to patients in March.

By July, some pharmacies faced running out altogether.

At the end of December, Pharmac warned supply ‘‘remains tight’’ – with chief executive Sarah Fitt telling Stuff yesterday that the drug-funding agency anticipates supply will not be ‘‘back to normal for several months’’.

‘‘Small volumes’’ of paracetamol were released to the market just before Christmas, after a shipment of 8000 bottles of 500-milligram tablets was damaged en route to New Zealand and had to be rejected.

The lack of bottles increased the demand for blister packs, exacerbating the problem, Fitt said.

Since then, ‘‘small volumes’’ of paracetamol have arrived in the country, including two extra deliveries totalling 8000 bottles to help ease demand for blister packs, she said.

Seven thousand blister packs were being released into the supply chain every week to meet usual demand, she said.

More than 365 million funded paracetamol tablets are dispensed each year.

API Consumer Brands, which supplies the country’s current funded brand of paracetamol, advised Pharmac it had stock on hand and was working to ensure supply continues.

Supply has been disrupted at the active ingredient and finished product level, with manufacturing and supply logistics affected by border and lockdown restrictions, industrial action in multiple countries, and export restrictions, Fitt said.

Pharmac was aware of the ‘‘inconvenience’’ caused by paracetamol supply issues, she said. It has listed alternative brands where it has been able to secure them.

Current stock levels were enough to meet demand, and monthly dispensing – rather than three-monthly – would support that, she said.