Quetiapine, an essential drug against schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, is once again struck by critical shortages. The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) alerts a “high tension” situation and publishes emergency instructions to avoid treatment ruptures.
Quetiapine under high tension, the ANSM is sounding the alarm
Prescribed to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and, in some cases, the major depressive episodes resistant, Quétiapine is a central drug in psychiatry. For several months, the LP (prolonged release) forms dosed at 300 mg and 400 mg have been difficult to find in pharmacies. The situation is getting worse this summer.
In a press release published on August 5, 2025, the ANSM declares that “The Viatris laboratory, which made it possible to partially compensate for the current shortage of the QUTIAPINE LP 300 mg and 400 mg specialties by ensuring regular supply, in turn has a delay in production“. She continues by”Quétiapine 50 mg LP Viatris is not affected by this delay in packaging. However, we ask doctors and pharmacists to Do not postpone prescriptions and dispensations on the Quetiapine LP 50 mg for patients not using this dosage usually. This, in order to guarantee its availability for the usual needs“.
The agency warns that this delay will cause a degradation of the availability of these treatments until mid-September. “”This discrepancy occurs in a tense context, marked by an already sharply reduced availability on the French market“, Continues the ANSM, which evokes a” under tension “stock no longer making it possible to ensure sufficient dispensation for all patients. And the press release actually seems to testify to a lack of immediate solutions”We are looking for alternative supply solutions with all laboratories marketing Quétiapine in France and Europe. We have asked the laboratories that can release all of their stocks now, in order to limit tensions, in town and in the hospital, to the replenishment by the Viatris laboratory. The situation is re -evaluated periodically according to the data provided by the industrialists“.
Ruptures that endanger the mental health of patients
This new alert is part of a series of shortages that affect psychotropic drugs in France. For high -dose under Quétiapine patients, ruptures can cause withdrawal effects, relapses, or psychiatric aggravations requiring hospitalization.
Since the beginning of the year, many psychiatrists have alerted the concrete consequences of this crisis. Some patients suddenly interrupt their treatment. Others have no choice but to accept unsuitable substitutions, with a risk of undesirable effects or decompensations.
Patient associations, such as UNAFAM, and professionals in the field denounce a loss of medical opportunity for people with severe mental disorders. La Tribune published in The world Last June, signed by dozens of caregivers, already denounced “Absent drugs, patients in danger “ and a Psychiatry relegated to the background of public health priorities.
What it changes for patients
Faced with this exceptional situation, the ANSM published on August 5, 2025 a series of concrete measures to follow to maintain the continuity of care, as a priority in patients for whom a therapeutic alternative is not possible.
For health professionals, it goes through the Suspension of treatment initiations with this drug (at the product of more available alternatives)except for patients with a depressed episode characterized as part of a bipolar disorder. The possibility of unit dispensation (DAU) For all Quetiapine -based drugs and in the event of unavailability of prolonged liberation drugs (LP), the Replacement with masterful preparations From Quétiapine to immediate liberation (Li) Without new medical prescription.
For patients, if the drug prescribed by your doctor is not available in pharmacy:
- Your doctor may have to prescribe another drug By adjusting the dose and with suitable monitoring methods, depending on your situation.
- In the event of unavailability of your usual treatment from Quetiapine to prolonged Liberation (LP) in pharmacies, The pharmacist will be able to provide you with Quetiapine capsules in immediate liberation (LI) in the form of a masterful preparation. A masterful preparation is a drug -made drug by the pharmacist, in the event of unavailability of the prescribed drug.
He will give you a use sheet, read it carefully before taking the medication.
- Consult the master preparation sheet in Quetiapine 50 mg immediate release;
- Consult the Masterful Preparation User Party Quétiapine 100 mg Cops Home in immediate liberation;
- Consult the Masterful Preparation User Party Quetiapine 150 mg Copspered Cabsle.
The immediate release form requires adapting the number of sockets per day. If the pharmacist or the doctor tells you that you must take the quetiapine in immediate liberation in twice (morning and evening), Respect an interval of 8 to 12 hours between the catches.
Please note, the first dose of Immediate Liberation Quétiapine should be taken approximately 24 hours after the last dose of prolonged Liberation Quétiapine (LP).
Immediate release Quetiapine can increase the effects of drowsiness and dizziness, especially at the start of the change of prolonged release tablets (LP) to immediate release capsules or during the morning. Do not drive a vehicle or do not use tools or machines before knowing what effect these capsules will have on you.
Report to your doctor any adverse effect or symptom that you deem unusual or if you have the impression that treatment does not act as usual.
A crisis revealing a weakened psychiatric system
This new alert does not fall by chance. For several years, medicines for mental health have been among the most affected by supply tensions. Their low profitability for laboratories, combined with an outsourced production abroad, weakens access to treatments in France.
Quetiapine, however used by around 200,000 patients, is regularly subject to breaks. The lack of immediate replacement solutions creates a chain effect, destabilizing prescribers, pharmacists and caregivers. For many health professionals, this crisis symbolizes a broader disengagement towards psychiatry, already faced with a shortage of beds, personal and recognition.
The repetition of these alarm shortages a whole sector, forced to manage in an emergency what many consider as a gradual abandonment of mental health.