GV Hale Solicitors

Is NHS already finding it hard to get medicines?

The possibility of a no-deal Brexit is being blamed for the supply shortages and rising prices for some medicines being reported by pharmacists and GPs.
 
There is nothing new about occasional shortages of certain types of medicine. But there are reports of more acute problems than usual and some are citing a market reaction to the risk of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal.
 
The organisation that negotiates drug pricing on behalf of pharmacies told BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake up to Money that Brexit is already affecting the supply and price of some key generic drugs.
A patient unable to obtain the usual anti-inflammatory for her arthritis contacted the programme to explain how she was told she had to have a substitute because of shortages.
 
Chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), Simon Dukes said there were supply shortages for a number of reasons and that "concerns around a no-deal Brexit are likely to exacerbate those ongoing issues".
 
In a letter to the Health Select Committee he referred to recent price rises, saying: "The surge may be due to a combination of factors including Brexit planning and contingency."
 
"The medicines market is complex. The big pharma companies market their own-brand drugs and the overall cost to the NHS is capped each year.
 
Once a patent expires, drugs become "generic" which means that any manufacturer and distributor can make and sell them." The prices of these generic medicines rise and fall in a market which can be opaque.
 
This can leave the pharmacists out of pocket as they have to pay the going rate first then claim it back from the NHS according to an agreed tariff, but sometimes that tariff doesn't keep up with market moves causes the financial loss. 
 
It is the price and supply of these generics which have caused concern amongst pharmacies.
Their cash flow comes under severe pressure if the extra costs of the generic drugs are not covered quickly by the NHS.
 
Sometimes wholesalers cannot immediately replenish supplies at pharmacies and that means disappointment for GPs and patients.
 
The government has told manufacturers of both branded and generic drugs to ensure that six weeks' worth of supplies have been built up to ensure continuity in the event of a no-deal Brexit. This exercise has been largely successful.
 
Hospitals and patients have been told not to build up their own private supplies.
 
For confidential, legal advice contact our team of specialist solicitors on 0845 603 0708
 

 

 

GV Hale 

Solicitors

Doncaster



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