Pharma leaders call for urgent action to protect medicine supply

A group including representatives of major pharmaceutical companies have written a joint letter to the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, to state that if urgent action is not taken the UK will not have a medicine supply that will suffice in a no deal Brexit.

A letter has been sent to the Health Secretary from organisations including the ABPI, the Brexit Health Alliance, and the ABHI urging the Government to raise the warning level to ‘red’ in regards widespread shortages of medicines and device supply in no deal Brexit.

In the joint letter titled “Request for Urgent Roundtable on Medicine and Device Supply in No Deal Brexit”, the organisations note David Lidington’s report to Cabinet that ‘the normal Dover-Calais route could be at 12% capacity for six months’.

The group of organisations representing medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies does not believe the border and transport infrastructure can be ready for March 2019 and that time is very tight to address the problem.

Commenting on the letter that has been sent to Matt Hancock, and the uncertainty that is building around the possibility of a No Deal Brexit, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said:

“This letter makes it clear that we are dangerously close to not having a secure supply of the critical imported drugs or medical devices our health service depends on in a No Deal Brexit. When an incredibly broad group of medical organisations and bodies are telling the Government we are at warning level ‘red’, it shows the preparations Government has made are both shockingly inadequate and woefully behind.

“They simply cannot guarantee that there won’t be shortages of medicines, whether in a No Deal or a Chequers Deal scenario.

“Liberal Democrats demand better. Nobody voted for this chaotic Brexit, people are entitled to a final say on Brexit in a People’s Vote and put a stop to this unnecessary, draining mess.”