UK drug shortages post-Brexit has become a crisis. A report by the Nuffield Trust think tank said drug shortages in the UK would more than double between 2020 and 2023. According to official reports, Brexit has destroyed the UK’s ability to deal with drug shortages. According to the report, Brexit has significantly weakened the UK’s ability to deal with supply chain problems.
Britain’s dependence on drug imports
UK drug shortages post-Brexit is because the UK depends on drug imports from abroad. Many were concerned that Britain’s departure from the European Union would lead to shortages and restrictions on the supply of drugs across the country. According to the Healthcare Distribution Association, the UK imports 90% of its medicines. This means that the disruptions caused by the results of Brexit and the lack of licensed drivers have caused apparent problems in transporting medicine to this country.
Increase in drug shortage warnings in the UK
A report by the Nuffield Trust think tank shows that pharmaceutical companies issued 1,643 warnings about impending drug shortages in 2023. This number was only 648 in 2020 when Britain left the European Union. While drug shortages have occurred in the United States and Europe in recent years, Britain is at greater risk. Brexit has devalued sterling and cut the UK from the EU supply chain. The trade of Products is no longer easy across the EU border. In the long term, the UK may face a shortage of alternatives as more drugs are not approved.
Normalization of drug shortages in the UK
According to research by the Nuffield Trust, shortages have become ‘the norm’ in the UK since leaving the EU in January 2020. UK drug shortages post-Brexit has become a permanent problem. These shortages include antibiotics and epilepsy drugs. Drug companies have warned of potential shortages over 1,600 times in the past year. This number shows a significant increase compared to 648 times in 2020. Mark Dayan, the report’s lead author, and the Nuffield Trust’s Brexit programme lead, said: “The rise in shortages of vital medicines from rare to commonplace has been a shocking development that few would have expected a decade ago.”
Lack of medicine causes a price increase
Increasing drug shortages in the UK, including essential drugs such as antibiotics and epilepsy drugs, have led pharmacies to reimburse more drugs to buy medicines above their standard price. Shortages have also worsened due to changing demand patterns, such as how doctors prescribe medications in the UK and cuts to NHS funding.
Additional challenges for Britain after Brexit
Leaving the European Union has presented the UK with additional challenges. Between 2022 and 2023, four medicines authorized by the European Commission were approved faster in the UK. But 56 were passed in the UK after the EC. Eight cases were not approved in March this year. Reports suggest the UK can only count on formal changes to UK-EU relations for a while. However, there are measures that the government can take. These include being better at anticipating shortages and shortcomings, being upfront about them, and being alert to sudden pressures from cost instability.
UK drug shortages post-Brexit
Due to the shortage of medicines in the UK, almost half of the country’s people say that they can hardly get their medicines. British doctors warn that some alternative medicines can have dangerous side effects. These complications include mild heart attacks for patients. Surveys show that over the past two years, 49% of Britons have had trouble getting their prescribed medication.
The seriousness of the drug shortage problem in the UK
According to the Guardian, the lack of medicine in the UK is so severe that 1 out of every 12 English people needed help finding the medicine they were looking for despite searching in different pharmacies. Moreover, 23% of people said they found the required drugs, but it was not enough. According to this survey, 36% of people believe this shortage is due to Brexit. Along with Brexit, as the leading cause of drug shortage in the UK, the British consider 33% of inflation and 26% of world conflicts as the cause.
Essential factors affecting drug shortages in the UK
The UK is currently facing shortages of medicines, including drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, and insulin. The lack of medicine has significantly increased the concern among type 1 diabetic patients and their families. The shortage of drugs in the UK has reached critical levels, and the lives of patients are in danger. Experts say that the war in Ukraine has affected the drug supply chain. In addition, the UK’s exit from the European Union and the pound devaluation have made it more difficult for the NHS to purchase drugs.
Insulin deficiency and increased risk of death in patients
News about any shortage of this drug causes significant anxiety in people with type 1 diabetes, which is highly harmful to the health of these patients. People with type 1 diabetes die within days without insulin and the stress of not having it accelerates this. A regular supply of insulin in the body is necessary for life. Reliable access to insulin is a vital part of life for people with type 1 diabetes. Due to an autoimmune condition, their body cannot make insulin naturally.
Brexit is the cause of the worsening drug shortage in the UK
Drug shortages in the UK are a common occurrence, which Brexit will exacerbate. However, the NHS is trying to reassure people with type 1 diabetes that they can use alternative formulas if their regular insulin products are not available. However, several people have faced problems and have been hospitalized due to the “improper dose” injection.
The British are deeply concerned about the worsening of the drug shortage crisis
UK drug shortages post-Brexit are still a deep concern. Shortages affect the timely distribution of drugs and put much pressure on pharmacies operationally and financially. On the other hand, the uncertain nature of drug supply has highlighted life-threatening conditions for patients across the UK. The British have called for the government to organize the fragile supply system of British medicines.
