Re: Brexit Day Bill from EU?
Originally Posted by
AnnieS
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If you do this for a living (and I'm not sure whether you are saying that you manufacture medicines or distribute them) then you will know that pharma suppliers have been stockpiling because of Brexit. The Epipen and HRT shortages are just examples of how fragile the supply chains are. We are reliant on smooth frictionless trade for medical supplies and international cooperation when there are shortages. The big drugs are manufactured by the big players and they are multinationals. They don't need to stay here if it doesn't suit their logistics.
Pharma companies "stock pile" all the time. Its part of securing supply through supply chains. In the industry it's called "increasing warehousing" ... the term "stock-pile" was introduced to scare people like you who think Brexit will impact the health and safety of people, because we will run out of meds and other absurd, made up junk from the remain media.
The whole world relies on smooth and frictionless trade - the WTO have been championing it for years. In the case of the EU and the UK, we never have had 100% frictionless trade. We get no end of problems through bad weather, strikes, fuel shortages and protests by French etc. Look at operation Stack on the M20, that should give you a good example of how great the frictionless trade is between the UK and the EU. It's one of the reasons we stock-pile (or increase warehousing) because its so unreliable and unpredictable. Countries in the EU and all over the world do the same its part of disaster planning and pandemic planning. We do it all the time, day in day out.... it's routine and mostly automated through ERP and MRP systems connected all over the world (such as JDE, SAP etc).
Warehousing drug products is for all manner of reasons - you don't buy a ventolin inhaler from Spain and get it on next day delivery and if it doesn't arrive its tough luck for the patient.. they come from a massive pool of meds in warehouses all over the world. Just like any other warehousing system.
Over 80% of drug and biotech companies have representation in the UK. It's because of our top notch scientists, superb education system (look at our Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge etc), we speak English, we have free healthcare and exceptional talents for innovation. We also have some of the biggest hub airports in the world (such as Heathrow) and have nuclear science capabilities, massive research parks where other companies can innovate together and are world leaders in areas such as cancer research. We also develop the regulations and good practices that are transcribed into other countries regulatory bodies with our partners in the USA (and europe).
*The shortages of Epipen and HRT is because there is insufficient manufacturing of them in the first place. Its a historic problem and nothing to do with Brexit.
** Do you know how much this scaremongering is costing the NHS with patients asking for more meds on prescription so they can create their own stock-piles ? My girlfriend works in a pharmacy and spends far too much time telling people to stop asking for extra meds when there is no need because of what they have read in the media about Brexit. They can't get a prescription because the Dr won't prescribe extra stuff because of what the patient has read in the Guardian so they pester the pharmacists. As a result, there are queues out the door and lots of angry people insulting and shouting at NHS staff. Its costing the NHS a fortune because of this none-sense, Annie. Some people won't take no for an answer and keep making stupid appointments and wasting everyones time while other people can't get seen to.
Really...