The photo shows medicine boxes on shelves at a pharmacy in Paris, October 19, 2022 (AFP)

French Minister of Health and Prevention Francois Braun said on Monday France is suffering from substantial difficulties in obtaining vital pharmaceuticals , with the majority of pharmacies now experiencing shortages.

"We have a real problem with several medicines. We faced a shortage this winter. The supply of several drugs is limited, and there are fewer and fewer of them in stock. One just cannot find them in any pharmacy,"

Vowing that this crisis will not happen again, Braun said, "We are launching a plan against shortages of critical medications that people cannot live without. We are working on a list of essential medicines; it will be finished by May. We will be monitoring all stages of their production to control production chains and ensure their constant availability in pharmacies."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Minister assured that stocks of amoxicillin and paracetamol, the consumption of which increases in winter, will be supplied.

Braun recalled that French President Emmanuel Macron had inked a decree mandating that France achieve complete medical independence by the year 2030, noting that the majority of pharmaceuticals are imported from China, India, and the United States.

France is the fourth-largest country in the European Union for pharmaceutical production, as per the journal Le Figaro.

It is worth noting that antibiotics, antipyretics, and painkillers are in short supply in French pharmacies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the flu, and the bronchiolitis epidemics this winter.

The newspaper added that 40% of the medications imported by the European Union come from China and India. Furthermore, these two nations generate 60% to 80% of the active chemicals, such as paracetamol. According to the report, the war in Ukraine has increased the price of domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers as well as driven up the cost of aluminum and glass packaging.

The French healthcare system is in the grip of a never-before-seen crisis. Last December, doctors in France have gone on strike for a week in order to demand an increase in consultation fees and better working conditions, effectively shutting down the country's healthcare delivery system.

The wage dispute with the government comes as France struggles with rising inflation and worsening economic conditions.

In recent months, similar strikes have occurred in other European countries, including the United Kingdom, as a result of a cost-of-living crisis.