Our members are working 24/7 to get medicines to patients during the coronavirus pandemic so that any concerns or issues around shortages are identified and mitigated before they arise.
There are robust procedures in place to manage the supply of medicines in the UK, and companies will be taking all possible measures to secure supply for patients - in line with Government guidance.
Pharmaceutical companies continue to work to understand any impact that any closures of global manufacturing facilities (particularly in China and India) may have on supply chains.
Companies continue to review this on a daily basis and are working with global colleagues to understand any potential impact.
However, this should not be seen as an alternative to information received directly by the relevant competent authorities and Government from marketing authorisation holders or suppliers, which should continue to be the primary means of intelligence on continuity of medicine supply.
Every day millions of patients rely on medicines supplied by the pharmaceutical industry
Manufacturers know that any medicine shortage is extremely worrying for the people affected by it. They do everything they can to prevent medicine supply problems occurring and to resolve them quickly if they do happen.
Companies work to prevent shortages happening in the first place, but despite the best efforts of all concerned, supply problems can happen for unforeseen reasons.
Pharmaceutical companies take their responsibilities very seriously and are accountable to UK regulators should supplies of their products become unavailable.
Find out more about how we manage shortages here.
