Drugs: Northern Ireland

(asked on 18th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on the supply of medicines in Northern Ireland of the Northern Ireland Protocol; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Edward Argar Portrait
Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 24th May 2021

The Government has published guidance on the regulation of human medicines in the United Kingdom from 1 January 2021. This guidance also sets out mitigations to help ensure the continuous supply of medicines to patients in Northern Ireland.

The Department of Health and Social Care, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Northern Ireland Department of Health have been working closely with industry to support them in their preparations to comply with the Northern Ireland Protocol and to support the availability of medicines for patients in Northern Ireland.

We are continuing to engage with the European Commission on the practical application of the Protocol. This includes immediate resolution of outstanding practical issues, and a long-term approach that ensures no barriers to the movement of medicines into Northern Ireland.

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