Pharmaceutical factories request no power cuts amid the energy crisis

The Patronat of Industrial Medicines Manufacturers of Romania (PRIMER) has urged the Government to place pharmaceutical factories on the list of critical sectors, alongside hospitals, should a decision be made to reduce energy consumption for large consumers. The request comes in the context of the current energy crisis and the possible implementation of measures to limit electricity consumption.

Dragoș Damian, President of PRIMER, explained on Digi24 that the operations of pharmaceutical factories differ from those of other types of companies: "It is perhaps somewhat similar to food companies, in that we must maintain certain conditions of climate control, pressure, temperature, and humidity in order to manufacture medicines. It is not like having the power cut off — if there are energy interruptions for a day, we cannot simply walk back into the factory the next day and resume production. All batches in production would be compromised, and it would take well over a week before we could return to normal manufacturing."

He warned that Romania is already experiencing supply problems: "We are already facing medicine shortages and manufacturing difficulties in Romania. I believe that, much like energy, almost 80% of medicines come from imports, so it would be extremely ill-advised to continue shutting down pharmaceutical factories."

Damian also noted that many pharmaceutical factories, like some car manufacturing plants, are currently in technical shutdown, meaning they are consuming considerably less electricity than usual.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on Thursday that Transelectrica's dispatch centre would be authorised to take measures to limit the electricity consumption of large consumers, who would be notified 24 hours in advance.

In a press release, PRIMER stated: "PRIMER — which brings together the 18 most important pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in the country — calls on the Romanian Government to include medicines manufacturers on the list of strategic consumers entitled to continuity of electricity supply, alongside hospitals and other critical infrastructure. Pharmaceutical factories are not ordinary industrial units. They ensure the continuous production of essential medicines used daily by millions of Romanian patients and by hospitals throughout the country."

The association comprises 18 pharmaceutical factories: AC Helcor, B. Braun, Bio-Eel SRL, Biofarm, Fiterman Pharma, Gedeon-Richter, Infomed Fluids, Labormed-Alvogen, Laropharm, Magistra CC, Vitema Pharmaceuticals, Ropharma, Santa SA, Slavia Pharm, Terapia — a Sun Pharma company, TIS Pharmaceutical, Vim Spectrum, and Zentiva.