this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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While the story says there is a European wide shortage of drugs due to manufacturing problems, war in Ukraine etc, the extra red tape now enforced for customs imports means it's become harder for the NHS to get the supplies of drugs it needs.

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[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Nor dose the UK. But your argument is not shortage drugs it was that germany helth agency supplies more then others. If you go to germany and buy drugs. No one can legally stop you crossing the French border. If you pay a priv doc in germany you can buy what ever is available to sell.

I can tell you right now. Brexit fucked that up for me and many others. And has given us fuck all in return.

But again its a invalid argumnt anyway. Because the issue is. The NHS germany and every health care agency in the world. Rarely if ever buys drugas directly from astrazenica or phizer GSK etc. (covid was a unique exception) They buy them from huge drug import companies that then sell them to local pharmacies. Who order what they need based on customer load and expectations. The warehouses in the EU are not selling to the warehouses in the UK. Because the paperwork and licencing to do so is a fuck sight more then just a form. It is staff who understand the drugs filling in that form. Who are simply not needed to sell to 26 other countries.

It really is not complicated to understand why that cost has become higher due to brexit. As I say other things are included. But the brexit extra paperwork is the big reason companies want more money to sell to the UK then to just ship to an other health agency in the EU.

While at the same time we gain no ability to buy from out of EU nations that we did not have before brexit. Because they need even more paperwork. Because every single drug they sell needs to prove it meets MHRA standards rather then just the post 2019 ones. Meaning more staff who now have to be trained in filling even more UK specific forms that tgese ware houses have no need for when selling in their own demain. Add to that how fucking expensive for both ends it is if that import licence gets filled in wrong. (as we saw happen over covid multiple times).

And it really only take very minimal understanding of market economics to see why the NHS is having issues and having to ask the gov to authorise higher payments for popular drugs.

As I keep saying. Brexit is a cause not the only one. The way our NHS is funded (underfunded compared to most other nations) has a huge hit. But the extra work of filling forms and providing data evidence to support those forms is something that has to come from somewhere. And why should pharmacutical warehouses in the EU fund it just because a tiny % over 50% of the UK had fuck all idea how this all worked when they voted.

Those who voted for it have to accept the cost of their choice.

[–] bernieecclestoned@sh.itjust.works -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

But the extra work of filling forms and providing data evidence to support those forms is something that has to come from somewhere

Yep. But forms can be automated and policy can be written to make the UK more attractive for pharma

While at the same time we gain no ability to buy from out of EU nations that we did not have before brexit

Other than things like Project Orbis?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-project-orbis

[–] C4d@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Project Orbis is about approval (and it seems like a good idea). It isn’t about supply or cost.