The weaknesses of the legal parallel drug trade in the EU have exposed again, as drug shortages threaten to hit the UK. The weak pound is seemingly providing a temptation for wholesalers to make money by diverting UK drugs, bought at National Health Service-controlled prices, to other European markets where they can get a higher price.
The BBC reports a Royal Pharmaceutical Society call for action, which has oddly now been deleted from the RPS press releases page. The UK Health Minister has condemned the resale of NHS drugs for higher prices abroad and has called an emergency summit for next month to discuss the issue. The UK pharma trade body, the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries, told the BBC that there is enough medicine to go round and distribution is to blame, although again no mention on theABPI press release page.
Supply and demand: the basis for all commerce. Unfortunately, if the drug shortage becomes a sustained issue then the UK will become a target for counterfeiters and criminals looking to make a quick buck by filling the hole.
Tuesday 16 February 2010
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