UK gov to secure extra freight for medicine after no-deal Brexit
Industry has welcomed the British government’s announcement that it will take steps to secure additional freight capacity to deal with a shortage of pharmaceuticals in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The government revealed yesterday, June 26, that it had updated its contingency plans for leaving the EU without a deal in light of concerns over potential pharmaceutical shortages.
The Department of Health and Social Care is to lead efforts to secure an “express freight service”, the announcement said. This service will transport small consignments of medical supplies into the UK within 24 hours of a no-deal Brexit.
Previous government efforts to secure the transport of medical supplies post-Brexit fell short after it emerged that transport secretary Chris Grayling had awarded a £14 million ($17.8 million) freight contract to a company which had no access to any ships and had not previously operated in the industry.
According to the release, the government is also seeking to build its “buffer stocks” of essential medical supplies, including drugs, medical devices and vaccines.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said that it welcomed the news, noting that additional freight capacity was “key” to the industry’s plans for dealing with a no-deal Brexit.
“Our members will be pleased that the government are taking steps to put this capacity in place again and await further information about how this will work in practice,” the statement said.
Despite welcoming increased preparations for the possibility of leaving the EU without a deal, the ABPI reiterated that a negotiated exit remains the preference of industry.
“Leaving the EU with a deal in place remains the best way to minimise any potential disruption to medicines supplies,” the statement said.
The UK government’s efforts to secure passage of its negotiated Withdrawal Agreement with the EU through British parliament have so far proven unsuccessful after three separate votes.
With Prime Minister Theresa May set to step down after her Conservative Party nominates a new leader next month, the future of Britain’s relationship with the EU is far from certain.
Frontrunner for the Conservative Party leadership Boris Johnson has indicated he would be prepared to take the UK out of the EU without a deal on October 31.
According to the government, its wider plan for minimising any disruption to the supply of medicines in such an event includes establishing additional warehouse space for storage, as well as clarifying regulatory requirements to ensure continued market access for pharmaceutical companies.
In January, the government issued updated guidance on the regulation of medicines and medical supplies should the UK leave without a deal.
The guidance stated that all “centrally authorised products” approved by the EU would be granted a UK marketing authorisation to ensure that they could still be sold in the UK.
Earlier this year, life sciences IP lawyers told LSIPR that they were deeply concerned at the remaining uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
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