NI Protocol: Medicine supply still 'problematic and inefficient' - BBC

An organisation which represents medicines wholesalers says supplying Northern Ireland remains "challenging, problematic and inefficient".

Martin Sawer, of the Healthcare Distribution Association, gave grounds to a House of Lords Committee examining the interaction of the NI Protocol.

Mr Sawer said problems stay contempt the EU changing its laws to easiness the travel of medicines from GB to NI.

He added that supplies stay "OK" but helium has large concerns astir the future.

Mr Sawer said the regulatory "tectonic plates" of NI and GB are moving isolated and measures to support them unneurotic are "sticking plasters."

He was echoed by Paul Williams from pharmaceutical manufacturer, Teva UK.

Mr Williams said determination were inactive six outstanding issues to beryllium addressed including requirements astir the licensing and packaging of medicines.

Meanwhile, Michelle Riddalls from the Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), which represents manufactures of over-the-counter, non-prescription medicines, said astir of the issues for her assemblage had been addressed.

However, she besides raised an contented astir the licensing of medicines.

The post-Brexit woody known arsenic the Northern Ireland Protocol means NI is inactive wrong the EU's pharmaceutical regulatory system.

It gets astir of its medicines from Great Britain, which is not.

This emerged arsenic 1 of the protocol's large difficulties, with pharmaceutical firms informing it would pb to withdrawal of products.

The EU accepted it was a occupation and successful April 2022 changed its laws truthful that medicines entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain volition not request further labelling oregon testing, things which would person been required by the protocol successful its archetypal form.

However, immoderate drugs companies accidental the licensing process for medicines successful Northern Ireland inactive has problems.

Licensing is simply a analyzable area; successful the EU determination is simply a relation for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and nationalist regulators.

The protocol means the EMA's relation is efficaciously to o.k. innovative drugs for usage successful Northern Ireland portion the MHRA approves things similar generic medicines.

However, generics manufacturers efficaciously request 2 licences to proviso the full of the UK, 1 covering GB and 1 covering NI, which adds further outgo and complexity.