NHS: Drugs

(asked on 28th February 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of stockpiling drugs so that patients can continue to have access to those drugs in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.


Answered by
Stephen Hammond Portrait
Stephen Hammond
This question was answered on 8th March 2019

Leaving the European Union with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. However, as a responsible Government we must plan for every possible outcome, including ‘no deal’. The Department has published guidance to industry and the health and care system to allow them to make informed plans and preparations. This is available on GOV.UK.

The Department has put in place a multi-layered approach to minimise any disruption to the supply of medicines. In August 2018, the Department wrote to all pharmaceutical companies that supply prescription-only and pharmacy medicines to the United Kingdom that come from or via the EU/European Economic Area asking them to ensure a minimum of six weeks’ additional supply in the UK, over and above existing business-as-usual buffer stocks, by 29 March 2019.

The response from industry has been hugely positive. The vast majority of companies have confirmed stockpiling plans are in place and medicines continue to arrive to deliver on these plans. We are confident that if everyone does what they need to do, the supply of medicines and other medical products will be uninterrupted.

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