Some industry experts have said the UK could face drug shortages within “weeks” if the war in Iran continues.
Experts have expressed concern that the ongoing conflict, which affects key transport routes, could affect the flow of drugs to Britain. The war has already cut off supplies of key raw materials, including crop fertiliser, helium, gas and oil.
Brent crude oil prices have risen above $110 a barrel this week as ships are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, rising gas prices have sparked fears that energy bills in the UK could exceed £2,000.
Pharmaceutical supply chains are also heavily dependent on international shipping and air freight, with ingredients and drugs often produced overseas, including in India, which produces about 20 percent of the world’s generic drugs.
Although half of the UK’s medicines are manufactured domestically, a third comes from India and a third from the European Union.
Global supply chains under pressure
Disruption on major airways and shipping routes has already forced companies to reschedule deliveries, hiking costs and delays.
If the dispute continues, drug shortages could develop in just a few weeks, said Mark Samuels, director of Medicines UK, a company that represents manufacturers of cheaper medicines known as generics, which make up 85 per cent of drugs used by the NHS. The Guardian.
“We’re not in a crisis right now, but it’s still a serious situation,” he said.
Drug supplies typically have six to eight weeks of stock to provide a buffer against a short-term disruption, but longer delays to shipments could begin to empty stocks and potentially lead to shortages within weeks, Mr. Samuels added.
Gareth Jones, the National Pharmacy Association’s foreign affairs director, said Paper: “This is an uncertain and rapidly evolving situation.
“Pharmaceuticals are concerned by the events in the Middle East and we urge the government to closely monitor the impact this may have on the country’s drug supply.
“Although we are not aware of immediate drug disruptions, prolonged outages may cause supply problems.”
The Middle East conflict is preventing division
The high cost of transportation also puts pressure on the drug supply chain. Air freight rates have risen while some pharmaceutical companies have switched to sea routes, increasing shipping times.
Transshipment accounts for the majority of drug shipments to the UK and has been hit hard by the unrest in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Major carriers such as Maersk have temporarily suspended operations in the UAE and imposed emergency surcharges as companies move around Africa, adding to delivery times and costs.
“The pharmaceutical supply chain is complex and global, and we know that global events in the past have created existing drug shortages,” Jones added. Jones added.
David Weeks, head of supply chain risk management at analyst group Moody’s in Texas, said: “It’s a perfect storm, we have the conflict in the Gulf that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and India is known as the world’s pharmacy.
“They produce a lot of common [off-patent] Drugs and APIs [active pharmaceutical ingredients]. With the geopolitical situation, it is difficult and difficult to get out of it.”
Medicine in short
Medicines including blood pressure medicines, painkillers and anti-depressants have been affected by supply issues, said Dr Laila Henbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacists Association. the sun.
There have been shortages of paracetamol and other painkillers in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic as suppliers in India, which produces 60 per cent of the world’s generic drug and half of the US supply, struggle to keep up with demand.
A report by the House of Lords Public Services Committee called for better information sharing and a more proactive government approach to managing drug shortages. The report described drug supply as a “national security issue”.
About 14,000 medicines are licensed in England and most are in good supply, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said.
A government spokesman said: “There are currently no reported shortages of medicines as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. We are closely monitoring the situation for any impact on the medical supply chain.”
“The department is actively monitoring emerging threats to delivery resilience and has developed processes to manage disruption in the health and social care sector.”
The government said it was increasing UK manufacturing capacity domestically to reduce cross-cutting risks to medical supply chains.
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