Key Summary
- CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison called for practical and tangible steps to strengthen supply chains.
- The event saw the launch of a new 2D animation on the UK medicines supply chain, illustrating its complexity and the pressures it faces.
- The industry body also launched a suite of materials designed to raise greater awareness of how the supply chain operates.
The Medicines Supply Resilience Group (MSRG) hosted a reception at the House of Commons on Tuesday (14) to discuss the steps needed to strengthen resilience and protect patient access to vital medicines in the UK.
Health minister Dr Zubir Ahmed, All-Party Pharmacy Group (APPG) chair Sadik Al-Hassan, Epilepsy Society chief executive Claire Pelham, and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access Julian Beach spoke during the occasion.
Sadik Al-Hassan, who sponsored the reception, said, “As chair of APPG and a pharmacist myself, I have witnessed first-hand the devastating impact that medicine shortages can have on patients.
"As the APPG reported last year, shortages have moved from becoming isolated incidents to a chronic structural challenge for both the NHS and pharmacy sector.
"Efforts to enhance the resilience of the supply chain are required to protect patient access to vital medicines.
"I commend the Company Chemists’ Association for creating MSRG and urge policymakers and representatives across the supply chain to work collaboratively to create a more resilient supply chain."
The event saw the launch of a new 2D animation on the UK medicines supply chain, illustrating its complexity and the pressures it faces.
The industry body also launched a suite of materials designed to raise greater awareness of how the supply chain operates.
The materials also showed that greater resilience must be built to protect patients and taxpayers. This included a detailed explainer on the complex, global, and interdependent supply chain and the benefits of a digital-first approach to Patient Information Leaflets (PILs).
CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said, “Today’s reception showed the real value of bringing stakeholders from across the UK’s medicines supply chain, from industry, patient groups and government together.
"By working collaboratively across the supply chain, we can focus on identifying and delivering practical and tangible steps to strengthen resilience and respond to the pressures facing the supply chain.
"We are grateful to representatives of the Medicines Supply Resilience Group (MSRG) for their continued efforts in enhancing supply chain resilience, and to our sponsors, AbbVie, Accord and Viatris for their continued support.
"Shared effort is vital to enhancing supply chain resilience and ensuring patients continue to have reliable access to the medicines they depend on.”
The MSRG brings together representatives from all parts of the supply chain, including AAH Pharmaceuticals, Community Pharmacy England (CPE), Healthcare Distribution Association (HDA), Medicines UK, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB).
The MSRG is currently sponsored by AbbVie, Accord and Viatris, and hosted by the CCA.
