The Netherlands
A change has been made to the notification form of the Medicine Shortages and Defects Notification Centre in response to a new policy rule. The new policy rule and notification form have been implemented as of 01 April 2026.
In the Netherlands, shortages need to be reported 60 days in advance. The new policy rule provides greater clarity regarding ‘exceptional circumstances’ which result in not giving a two months’ notice. More details of the new rule can be found here: Staatscourant 2025, 42045 | Overheid.nl > Officiële bekendmakingen
As a result, a change has been made to the notification form. For submissions made less than 60 days prior to the interruption, an explanatory field will appear, in which a substantiated explanation needs to be included as to why the notification was not made 60 days in advance.
The full communication by the Medicine Shortages and Defects Notification Centre can be found below.