I read with great interest Sarah Neville’s article arguing for better strategic control of our medicine supply (“UK urged to stockpile medicines in second wave”, Report, November 9).
I find myself agreeing with her and am alarmed about the lack of attention on this point as we experience the confluence of a pandemic as well as Brexit, while observing pharmaceutical companies making “a killing” on newly licensed medicines and vaccines.
As the UK exits the EU, there is a high chance that there will be political and economic turmoil along with medicines supply shocks. Already, community pharmacists across the country are substituting therapies in conjunction with general practitioners to ensure that the care a patient receives when they present for treatment is appropriate.
However, this does not mean they supply every prescription, but supply “what they have”’ which may be a close substitute.
The geopolitical, currency and manufacturing arbitrage opportunity between the UK, the rest of Europe and the global market provides unscrupulous agents — drug cartels as well as governments — lucrative incentives to supply falsified medicines.
In the process, there is a danger of manipulating the UK’s medicines supply and potentially impacting patient safety. With loss of public confidence, the NHS could be undermined, presenting further opportunities to other market forces.
This would place UK patients at great disadvantage but would also cause a run on medicines and drug shortages across Europe, at least in the short term.
While manufacturers may currently be able to meet demand, the number of market participants are few and can be controlled through political means.
This makes drug policy and securing resilience in the medicine supply chain of vital national security and importance.
It is now time to discuss these matters to alert policymakers, manufacturers, and members of the public to be vigilant to the potential threats ahead, so corrective measures can be employed today to protect populations.
Ravina Barrett
Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences,
University of Brighton,
Brighton, UK
