Brexit freight plans needed urgently, says drug, medical suppliers

U.S: Some larger pharmaceutical companies have opted to make their own plans to replenish supplies of critical medicines in the event of a “no-deal” Brexit, industry groups said on Friday, while others are aiming to book slots in the government’s air and ferry freight plan.

Despite repeated and urgent requests to the government for details, medicines suppliers still don’t know which ports such shipments will depart from, the timings and lengths of the journeys or where they will arrive in the UK.

With some cross-channel trips taking as little as an hour, and others taking six or more, this heightens the potential risk for some medicines that may need refrigeration, the groups said and raises questions about the number of drivers needed and the length of their working shifts.

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“The industry doesn’t know which ports will be available, which ferries will be available. So we don’t know which ferries are coming from where to where,” said Steve Bates, chief executive of the UK BioIndustry Association.

“We have been repeatedly asking for this,” he said, adding that with fewer than six weeks to go before the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline “everything is become increasingly urgent”.

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