Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Apr 1;15(1):28.
doi: 10.1186/s40545-022-00425-z.

Redistribution of critical drugs in shortage during the first wave of COVID-19 in France: from operating theaters to intensive care units

Claire Chapuis  1 , Rémy Collomp  2 , Laura Albaladejo  3 , Hugo Terrisse  3 , Stéphane Honoré  4 , Jean-Luc Bosson  3   5 , Pierrick Bedouch  3   6 , Pierre Albaladejo  3   7
Affiliations

Redistribution of critical drugs in shortage during the first wave of COVID-19 in France: from operating theaters to intensive care units

Claire Chapuis et al. J Pharm Policy Pract. .

Abstract

Background: Tension in the supply of highly consumed drugs for patients with COVID-19 (propofol, midazolam, curares) led the French government to set up a centralized supply of hospitals with distribution based on the number of resuscitation beds in March 2020. The French Societies of Clinical Pharmacy and of Anesthesia and Critical Care aimed to evaluate the changes in total needs and the distribution between anesthesia and critical care activities (CCU), to prepare resumed surgical activity.

Methods: National declarative survey among pharmacists, via an online form (SurveyMonkey®), was conducted in April and May 2020. The analysis focused on quantities dispensed during the whole year 2019, and March and April of year 2019 and 2020 for the drugs subject to quota, and on their distribution in CCU and operating theaters.

Results: For the 358 establishments (47% public, 53% private), dispensations in CCU in March 2020 compared to March 2019 increased, respectively: propofol (+81%), midazolam (+125%), cisatracurium (+311%), atracurium (+138%), rocuronium (+119%); and decreased for anaesthesia: propofol (-27%), midazolam (-10%), cisatracurium (-19%), atracurium (-27%), rocuronium (+16%).

Conclusions: Variation of dispensations between CCU and others was directly related to the increase of COVID patients in CCU and the decrease in surgical activity. Each establishment could receive up to five or six different presentations and concentrations, leading to a major risk of medication error. This collaborative national survey provided accurate data on the drugs' usual consumption. This work emphasized the need for a strong collaboration between pharmacists and anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians. It was further used by the Health Ministry to adjust the drug distribution.

Keywords: (MeSH): anesthesia; Anesthetics; Critical care; Shortage; Survey.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of drug dispensations in hospitals with critical care units (mean, standard deviation)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Recommandations SFPC/SFAR Prévention des erreurs médicamenteuses en anesthésie et en réanimation durant la période COVID. Recommandations communes de la SFAR et de la SFPC. Version Mai 2020.
    1. Besson C, Chareyre S, Kirouani N, Jean-Jean S, Bretagnolle C, Henry A, Leboucher G, Charpiat B. Contribution d’une équipe de pharmacie hospitalière à la prise en charge en réanimation des patients infectés par le SARS-CoV-2 [Contribution of a hospital pharmacy team to critical care of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2] Ann Pharm Fr. 2021 doi: 10.1016/j.pharma.2021.01.007. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. García-Gil M, Velayos-Amo C. Hospital pharmacist experience in the Intensive Care Unit: plan COVID. Farm Hosp. 2020;44(7):32–35. doi: 10.7399/fh.11510. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cabañas MJ, Queralt GM. The pharmacist facing the logistics of safely dispensing, storing and preserving drugs in healthcare units. Farm Hosp. 2020;44(7):53–56. doi: 10.7399/fh.11495. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lemtiri J, Matusik E, Cousein E, Lambiotte F, Elbeki N. The role of the critical care pharmacist during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ann Pharm Fr. 2020;78(6):464–468. doi: 10.1016/j.pharma.2020.09.001. - DOI - PMC - PubMed