The pharmaceutical industry, like many other sectors, are completely unsure of what to expect once the UK leaves the European Union (EU) next month. So much so that many experts have asked the government for reassurance the industry could cope with the fall-out of a no-deal Brexit.
In just a few weeks Britain is set to exit the EU on October 31st, but the government has yet to determine a strategy everyone can agree on, including the EU. As a result of this, those in the pharmaceutical sector have expressed their concern a no-deal Brexit would deeply impact medical supplies, and subsequently, leave patients extremely vulnerable during the difficult winter months.
Pharmaceutical-Journal spoke to Warwick Smith, director general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association, who said there has been very poor communication from the government regarding the issue.
“I have heard everything from: ‘Yes, we’re right on top of it, we’re fine’ to ‘I’ve heard about it, but I don’t know what I need to do’,” Mr Smith commented, referencing the problem of supply delays due to not being able to get truck drivers into Britain at the same rate as before.
“Putting trucks full of medicines into a big car park is not good,” he added.
Indeed, a spokesperson from the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists also told the news provider that there would be “significant risk” to the supply of medicines and medical devices if Britain leaves the EU without a deal.
As well as disrupting supply and causing delays for patients to receive their necessary medicine, Brexit will have other implications for the industry.
The spokesperson went on to predict: “A no-deal Brexit will create more paperwork due to new (and unpredictable) regulatory hurdles in relation to the importation of medicines. This will, in turn, be sure to increase the costs to suppliers bringing products to the UK market and these will, inevitably, be passed on to the NHS.”
Last month, the government itself revealed the potential repercussions of a no-deal Brexit, releasing Operation Yellowhammer, its document of worst-case scenarios, to the public.
It stated that as well as a rise in public disorder; a disruption to fuel supplies; and the potential for animal disease outbreaks, there could also be ‘severe extended delays’ to medicine supplies.
The document said there would be a reduction to the flow of cross-Channel goods of up to 40 per cent from the offset, which could last as long as six months. Lorries on the way to Britain could also be delayed for two-and-a-half days due to extra documentation checks.
“This will have an impact on the supply of medicines and medical supplies,” the report read, adding: “The reliance of medicines and medical products’ supply chains on the short straits crossing make them particularly vulnerable to severe extended delays.”
While some pharmacies have been stockpiling medicines to prepare for this, industry experts point out that not all drugs can be put together by pharmaceutical packaging businesses and stored for months in advance due to their short shelf life.