No Deal: Pharmaceutical Products
Mr (West Bromwich West) (Lab/Co-op)
11. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the
security of supply for pharmaceutical products in the event that
the UK leaves the EU without a deal. [911603]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the
European Union (James Cleverly)
Our highest priority is for patients to continue to have access
to the medicines and medical products that they need. Since the
extension of article 50, close engagement with the pharmaceutical
industry has continued and we are confident that we will have the
necessary plans in place to ensure continuity of medical supply.
Mr Bailey
A no-deal Brexit would see the UK lose access to the falsified
medicines directive, which prevents substandard and counterfeit
medicines from entering our market. The head of the Healthcare
Distribution Association has said that, as a result, the UK would
be “less safe”. What steps has the Minister taken to prevent
that?
The hon. Gentleman will be unsurprised to hear that I have had
recent meetings with the Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry. We have discussed the quantity and
nature of cross-border movements of medical supplies and
pharmaceuticals. The British Government take this as one of our
top priorities, protecting the supply in general and ensuring the
quality as well as the quantity of medical supplies, and we will
continue to do so.
