Since my article on this subject last month, the ABPI (The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry) have unsurprisingly now weighed into the subject debate by defending their member companies who they say have taken “many additional steps to ensure that UK patients (medicine) needs are met”. Whatever action those member companies have taken, it seems strange that the monthly list of medicines in UK short supply stays so very constant from month to month with rare additions and even rarer deletions. This would seem to suggest that the listed products are being supplied to the UK market in quantities that only just enough to meet UK patient’s needs. If that is indeed the case, any upward change in exporting levels will result in worsening UK shortages. UK market shortages certainly inconvenience UK pharmacists and patients but I suggest do not particularly inconvenience ABPI members. It would be good to hear precisely what the “many additional steps” are that have been taken by ABPI member companies. Presumably increasing UK supply quantities to pharmacies not suspected of any exporting, is not one of the steps.
In fairness the ABPI have acknowledged that “Trading in medicines is a legitimate activity in Europe due to the free movement of goods; however as the UK now has amongst the lowest prices in Europe, medicines intended for UK patients are flowing out of the UK”.
With relatively low prices set in the UK and weak sterling currency versus the Euro, it is almost inevitable that unless or until prices are lowered in Europe, or the Sterling/Euro rate improves considerably, exports from the UK will continue. Imports of the small number of branded products that are imported to the UK that are more expensive here than they are in Europe will also continue, without discouragement.
We have had imports for a very long time, and the UK DOH has benefited financially from them, I believe that the current export situation is an unavoidable consequence of uneven Pharma pricing policies across Europe.
Pharmacists must remember that they should not sell products for wholesale unless they have a wholesale dealers license.