Since the beginning of the year, AICARM has been closely monitoring a situation that goes beyond the pharmacological emergency: the prolonged unavailability of Ritmodan (disopyramide), a key drug for the treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. On July 8, it was announced that the drug's distribution is returning to normal, but the shortage of essential medications is no longer an isolated issue, but rather a systemic reality that severely impacts the most vulnerable patients.
July 8, 2025, was a significant date for thousands of Italian patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: the Italian Medicines Agency officially announced that the shortage of Ritmodan and Ritmodan Retard had ended. Distribution activities have resumed, although it may take several more days before the situation returns completely to normal.
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The network of pharmaceutical wholesalers has already been informed, and it is expected that within a short time all pharmacies throughout the country will be able to obtain supplies through the usual channels.
The Ritmodan affair represents yet another chapter in a story that repeats itself with alarming frequency in the Italian pharmaceutical landscape. The disopyramide-based drug, produced by the German company CHEPLAPHARM AG, disappeared from pharmacy shelves, leaving hundreds of patients who depended on it to manage a serious and potentially fatal heart condition without treatment.
Given the persistence of the problem, AICARM was the first to raise the alarm on June 25, 2025. In a statement, Professor Franco Cecchi, president of the association and former professor of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Florence, did not mince his words when describing the situation as "a clear violation of a fundamental right."
The disappearance of Ritmodan was not an isolated case for AICARM. The association had already faced similar emergencies with other cardioprotective drugs, including nadolol and disopyramide itself in previous formulations. A disturbing pattern that consistently found the same manufacturing company at the center of supply difficulties.
"The concentration of production in the hands of a single manufacturer creates unacceptable situations of vulnerability," the Association denounced, emphasizing how this monopolistic dependence jeopardizes the continuity of treatment for patients with serious chronic diseases.
During the months of shortage, what AICARM called a veritable hunt for the drug had erupted. Patients were forced to wander from pharmacy to pharmacy, often in vain, while some were able to obtain the medicine only through alternative channels and at exorbitant prices.
The drug, which normally costs between 5 and 7 euros and is fully covered by the National Health Service, was offered abroad at 45 euros a pack, when available. This situation had triggered speculation and hoarding, transforming a lifesaving treatment into a luxury item accessible only to those who could afford it.
The issue raised by AICARM is part of a broader context involving the entire European Union. The European Medicines Agency has recognized the emergency pharmaceutical shortages as a priority challenge, creating a "Union List of Critical Medicines" that includes over 240 essential active ingredients.
The European Society of Cardiology contributed to this mapping, highlighting how drug shortages pose a growing threat to healthcare systems, with implications that go far beyond the purely medical aspect, touching on ethical, economic, and social issues.
During the months of crisis, AICARM made specific requests to the institutions: immediate action to address the shortage, implementation of monitoring and prevention systems, and diversification of production sources to avoid monopolistic dependencies.
The return of Ritmodan to pharmacies closes a difficult chapter, but paves the way for a broader reflection on how to make the pharmaceutical system more equitable, reliable, and focused on patients' real needs.
